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S. T. Skidmore. 



Has Man An Immortal Soul? 



BY 
S. T. SKIDMORE 




PUBLISHED BY 

S. T. SKIDMORE CO. 

ONAWA. IOWA 






Copyrighted, 1918. 
By S. T. Skidmore Co. 



NOV -3 1919 



JOHN F. BIGGINS, PKIKTBK 



376-380 WEST MONBOB ST. 

©CI.A53r)7?7 



INDEX 

Chapter. Page. 

I 9 

II ..>.... 30 

III 47 

IV 62 

V 77 

VI 90 

VII 104 

VIII 116 

Postscript 135 



M 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL! 
MATERIALISTIC. 

This volume is offered as an endeavor to aid those 
who have a desire to acquire a more clear under- 
standing of the findings of Modern Materialism; 
surrounding this intensely interesting, and what is 
presumed by some, to he the most vital question that 
has ever confronted he mind of man. 

Materialism is doubtless a foreign theory to 
many, for their benefit let it be said, in its primitive 
form Materialism taught that all spiritual phe- 
nomena was accountable to material for its exis- 
tence. This form of Materialism was handed down 
from the earliest part of the Christian era, but like 
all other ancient calculations, was deterementally 
contaminated with mythological superstition. 

Modern Materialism denys the existence of spirits, 
it defines that which appears to be spiritual phe- 
nomena as being only physical effect, brought about 
by no abnormal or supernatural cause, but are at- 
tributed to the material activities of physical organ- 
ism. 

Materialism rejects the theory of divine design, 
and holds forth the conclusion that all material con- 
struction and energy are the result of cosmological 
operations. The theory of divine design was de- 
ducted at a time in man's history when profound 
ignorance and superstition were the most marked 
characteristics of his mentality. And dominated 
every mental effort during his existence. 

Cosmological truths are the principals on which 
materialistic findings are based. Only facts in 
evidence are used in these calculations. All scien- 



tific researches have been conducted by the most 
efficient scholars of modern times aided by numerous 
scientifically devised instruments and appliances 
most of which have come into use almost within our 
own recollection and under our own observation. 

Modern Materialists claim to produce evidences 
that disprove the existence of the supposed immortal 
soul. However, the burden of proof should not rest 
with them for it was theology that made the claim 
that the soul is a reality, therefore they should pro- 
duce scientific evidences of their contention. 

AYhile all works of this character receive the se- 
verest criticism from those who accept on theological 
grounds, any form of the so-called spiritual relig- 
ions, there are those who have penetrated the sub- 
ject with sufficient inquiry to gain an intensive un- 
derstanding of the Bible, yet find no satisfaction 
therein but do not have time or inclination to bring 
out a line of thought and calculations that will be 
satisfactory and triumphal at the close of any re- 
ligious onslaught. 

This work is written in as plain and simple a 
manner as possible and handle the subject in an 
intelligent way. The author has avoided any long 
drawn and tiresome explanations, but plunges direct- 
ly into each division of the subject and disposes of 
it in as few words as is consistent in making clear 
his views. 

Only scientifically established facts will be set 
forth for consideration, and it is from these alone 
that Materialism endeavors to prove its assertions. 
No mythological or superstitious ideas are taken in- 
to consideration in any way. Neither will tradi- 
tional histon' in any form be examined in trying to 
solve the mvsteries of the immortal soul as all such 



literature is considered by materialists as incomp- 
etent and not trustworthy, therefore cannot be relied 
upon to yield the kind of evidence they are seeking. 

Hesitation in accepting new truths is a character- 
istic failing among mankind. They demand the facts 
regarding all matters of interest to them, but re- 
fuse to accept them if they are offensive to their 
wishes. We see this trait most plainly marked when 
we approach and question their belief in an im- 
mortal soul. They hesitate to accept the findings of 
Materialism until all question is removed. 

History disproves that Materialistic theories are 
of German origin, as has been recently charged on 
numerous occasions. 

Is there a man, graced with a tear 

Who would not rather believe, every brother here, 

And every one passed on to the deep 

Should rest in everlasting sleep. 

Than to believe one single soul. 

Should be condemned in the hell of old. 



Has Man An Immortal Soul? 



CHAPTER I. 

Since man's mind has become sharpened, through 
the process of intellectual development, fancies have 
flitted across his path of vision as he peers into the 
mystic maze beyond, carrying with them an mi- 
controllable desire to attain the absolute and intrin- 
sic truth, regarding the supposed immortal soul. 

Traditional history and mythology have given to 
us their compromising paraphrases. None of which 
answer the question to the satisfaction of the honest 
inquirer. It has been said, there is danger in skep- 
ticism. But there is greater danger in sham and 
falsehood. This is made more plain when we try 
to bring ourselves to believe that which is really 
unbelievable. 

If we are to inquire into the subject to a point 
that will satisfy the scientific mind, then we must 
seek the infallible, cold and unadulterated truth. 
Let this truth prove to us what it will, and then 
prepare ourselves to meet conditions as they are. 

If we are inclined to accept ancient mythology 
as preponderate we may gain some satisfaction from 
the belief so derived, but we lose the semblance 
of a sincere investigator who is earnestly endeav- 
oring to establish the unmistakable and unwavering 
situation surrounding the case. 

Along this road of inquiry, each and every foot 
step must be lighted by the fascinating rays of 

(9) 



10 HAS MAI^ AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

science. Honesty must be the guiding finger to 
indicate the way, while only facts shall be accepted, 
if we are to reach a conclusion comprising reason- 
able certainty. 

With this determination in mind, we will be forced 
to reject any statements set forth in ancient or 
modern literature which the author cannot substan- 
tiate philosophically and scientifically. It may be 
said that proofs other than scientific demonstrations 
cannot be relied upon to any considerable degree, 
and as it is impossible to obtain such demonstrations 
in some cases, it then becomes necessary to take into 
account every avaliable fragment of tangible evi- 
dence from which we must draw our conclusions, 
after a careful system of reasoning. Then if our 
deductions prove faulty, it cannot be said that 
science is to blame. It is nature that is at fault 
for not establishing enough evidence from which 
to form an opinion. Yet in those cases where it 
seems almost impossible to settle the question, there 
could be no real reason why we should try to bring 
ourselves to believe the unbelievable. Or that which 
is not in accordance with philosophic reason. 

The scientific phase is not the enigma that many 
are prone to hink it is. If we were asked to define 
the word ''scientific'^, we would say — it is subject 
made simple. When a subject is analyzed in such 
a way as to give us a clear understanding of each 
of its divisions, it is then we have the scientific con- 
ception of the otherwise perplexing problem. 

The masses of the people have been brought up 
and educated from infancy, through untold gener- 
ations, to have an intent desire for a life beyond 
the grave. And it is for this reason they are so 
ardent in nursing any doctrine both ancient and 



HAS MAN AN IMMOETAL SOUL 11 

modern, that will in any way strengthen and support 
their faith in this direction and to this end. In other 
words, they are establishing their faith by a desire 
and they endeavor to bring into effect all forms of 
proof to support it. While the Materialist brings np 
his evidence first, examines them critically to as- 
certain their soundness, after which his attention is 
directed to the facts they reveal, and he at once 
brings himself to accept the truths they teach, fear- 
less of any consequence. 

Thus we see that the Materialist must be of scien- 
tific turn of mind. And like all scientists he must 
be above all, honest. Honest with himself and honest 
with all others. Through his entire course of re- 
search, whatever branch of the subject may oc- 
cupy his attention, the predominating influence that 
shall aid him to arrive at a suitable conclusion, and 
the true character of the subject must be simple 
facts, unadulerated truth, and substantial realities. 
Then unalloyed deductions will be the result. The 
Materialist must search everywhere for scientific 
principals and he will be rewarded with profound 
views and sincere conceptions. 

At this point he begins to see things through a 
different lense, the light of a new reason then dawns 
lipon him, and he is presented with a new intellectual 
efficienc}^ Questions occur to him of eminent im- 
portance, like these — Could it be possible that chil- 
dren, or any one else, should be taught to believe in 
religious doctrines that are not true? Is it possible 
that teaching to any one a false religious faith or 
any other form of falsehood, could be right or just? 
or calculated to impart to the student any good! If 
a teacher knew there was a heaven and taught there 
was no such place, would he be doing right! Then 



12 HAS MAX AX IMMOETAL SOUL 

if he taught there was a heaven, when in fact, he 
really knew nothing about it,would he be doing right? 
If a person has been proven to be a falsifier, or a book 
that has been proven to contain falsehoods, can any 
assurance be placed in any statements they reveal, if 
they cannot verify their statements? 

If a scientist makes a discovery that he has proven 
to be true by a series of equitable calculations. Could 
there be any harm in investigating his deductions 
with a view of establishing the truth? And if these 
discoveries seem to disprove the teachings of the 
church could the scientist who collected them be 
considered dishonest? 

When scientists' attention is directed to religious 
subjects, another series of questions are ushered 
before his critical observation, like these — ^If the 
teachings of Mohammedanism are entirely right in 
the eyes of the Lord, can the teaching of Christianity 
be wholly right? Then if the teaching of Mormonism 
is right, can those of Catholicism be corrected? If 
ITnitarianism is the direct and perfect standard of 
truth, can Methodistism be accepted as a true and 
righteous interpretation of the divine law? 

And so the inquirer might lead himself through 
the whole category of religious denominations. At 
the close of such investigation he would find that 
not one of them would concede that any of the rest 
were wholly right in their teachings. However, each 
one will contend that they are the only true church 
of the living God. Yet there is supposed to be but 
one God, hence only one true church. And the 
question naturally arises, which is the true church? 
Each can produce the same amount of traditional 
history as any of the rest to prove they are the 
true church. Though not one of the whole number 



HAS MAN AN^ IMMORTAL SOUL 13 

can produce the slightest tangible evidence, or one 
scientific reason, in support of their claim. Each 
denomination claims all the others are ignorant. 
Ignorant of what? Their conception of traditional 
history. But this only shows the unfirmness of tra- 
ditional history as no two scholars can by its teach- 
ing come to the same understanding. 

Not only do discordant views arise, but profound 
enmity and even bitter warfare have been the direct 
result of misinterpretation and misunderstanding 
of ancient religious traditions. 

Yet our scientist goes on, using only facts in evi- 
dence. He arranges these in a way that will give 
to them the most possible potency and honest au- 
thoritativeness, and the result they seem to estab- 
lish is the one he is forced to accept as being the 
true condition. If his deductions disprove the con- 
tentions of religious tradition, he is condemned by 
those who think they have faith in any of the re- 
ligious cults. 

But should he be condemned for seeking the truth 1 
And when he is convinced of facts that disprove all 
religious doctrines, is he doing wrong? When any 
person refuses to believe a fact that is thus proven 
to be true, is he doing right? Or if he is afraid to 
acknowledge his convictions in such a fact for re- 
verential reasons, and therefore, condemns those 
who do accept the knowledge, is he doing right? 

Leaving these questions to the discretion of the 
reader, the title of this book will be introduced at 
this point, viz. Has Man an Immortal Soul? Such 
a theory is extremely general. However, if we are 
closely guided in our research by the foregoing 
principals, which are calculated to deliver to us the 



14 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

triitli only, we will find there exists no proof what- 
ever to verify such claim. 

Science has searched. Scholars have meditated, 
but to no avail. There appears to be no philosoph- 
ical reason for believing that man possesses such 
auxiliary. All theories of the immortal man teach 
us that the so-called soul is a spirituality. Such an 
explanation comes of necessity, for the reason it is 
easily demonstrated that every particle of the mat- 
erial body can be effectually destroyed by different 
processes. It is claimed by some that material 
bodies cannot be destroyed, that they continue to 
exist, in some elementary form. Which is true. 
Though it is a fact the original body can be de- 
stroyed, for example: we look upon the perfectly 
organized engine, palpitating under its load, gen- 
erating power from its fuel. It is perfect in every 
detail of its mechanical construction. Now let us 
place this beautiful piece of mechanism in a cru- 
cible, then watch the transformation from mechan- 
ical organism to inert mass. (And the same demon- 
stration would be possible with the human body). 
We have before us an object lesson of immense 
importance, demonstrating beyond doubt, that all 
material organism is destructible. However, we 
are told by those who pretend to know, that the 
soul cannot be destroyed, that it lives on and on 
through a considerable time, apart from the 
material body, hence, we are to believe it is a spir- 
ituality and possesses or contains no material in 
any form. Is it possible to conceive what is meant 
by a spirit? Let us see; if it contains no material 
whatever, it would be boundless, for boundary lines 
are always material. Then it could have no fonn, 
shape or size. Not composed of material it would 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 15 

be transparent and invisible. Without matter it 
would motionless. For motion means the chang- 
ing position of material bodies. And we see that 
the soul as a spirit, could not move apart from the 
body for there is nothing to move. In short, it 
would seem that the human soul has all the re- 
quirements of being what we would understand as 
nothing. If we can form a conception of nothing, 
then we may have some idea of the composition of 
the soul. But this is an impossibility and for this 
reason we can not conscientiously concede that the 
soul does exist without the body. 

But the devoted religious person will attest the 
simple fact that so many do believe in the existence 
of the soul is positive proof within itself that the 
soul is a reality. Though we should remember man's 
' ' believer ' ' is a very queer thing for it believes many 
things that will not bear probing, in fact it persists 
in believing some things long after the bottom has 
been probed out of them. 

Some advocates of the soul theory have suggested 
the soul may be possessed of qualities through forces 
unknown to us, in which they are enabled to realize, 
and in which they are made to have sensations 
similar to the mortal man. This might be so, but 
as we have no knowledge whatever of such being 
the case, the conjecture is left outside the scope of 
reason. Such a suggestion is only the result of 
unguarded imagination and there could be no reason 
for giving it serious consideration. 

Why should man possess a soul! If we bring to 
bear all the forces of our intelligence upon these 
sizeless, colorless, motionless, unseen, unheard and 
unfelt conjectures the question will appear what 
enjoyment could they derive from their existence? 



16 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

It is plain they could not converse through the 
audible language, for we know it is necessarj^ to 
have material vocal organs^ teeth, tongue and pallet, 
to say nothing of the lungs, diaphram and other 
muscular arrangements to produce the necessary 
sound waves. It is likewise necessary to have the 
material ear drum, rods and cone, to receive the 
sound waves. It would be equally difficult for them 
to use the dumb language, for they do not have 
material hands with which to signal or eyes to see 
the signs. Most of all the spirit does not possess 
a material brain dynamo in which intelligence could 
be generated. 

These are some of the reasons that Materialists 
are unable to believe that man possesses a soul 
apart from the body. But they have many other 
reasons for rejecting that belief. Materialists 
like scientific demonstrations where it is possible 
to obtain them. Therefore they have carried out 
a series of experiments which have great bearing 
on the subject and which produces evidence to sup- 
port their theory. 

Before endeavoring to explain such experiments 
it will be necessary for the reader to have some 
scientific conception of what is understood by the 
human soul. If a scientist were asked to give liis 
intuition of the soul he would say: It is the spark 
of life controlled by the thoughts. At any rate, if 
the soul does exist it must be alive and it must 
be capable of thinking. This is evident from the 
fact that a dead or thoughtless soul could result in 
no importance. 

Assuming the question has been correctly an- 
swered, we are placed in a position to carry out the 
experiment. In the first place it is evident that the 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 17 

material brain is the complete basis and directly re- 
sponsible for mental activities in all animals in- 
cluding man. This evidential fact is ascertained b}^ 
observing the gradual development of the intellect 
of the young with the growth and development of 
the brain matter which increases with the advance 
of age. And also the decay of the intellect which 
always accompanies decay or degeneration in activ- 
ities of the brain matter which comes in extreme 
old age or disease. We also observe the total in- 
activity of the mental forces with total impairment 
or destruction of the brain. 

Then to prove the conjunction of the brain matter 
and the intelligence. That one can not survive 
without the other, the following demonstrations 
have been scientifically observed. That whenever 
sufficient pressure has been applied upon the gray 
matter of the brain, come-stupor is invariably the 
result caused by arresting the interchangeable action 
of this matter which brings about the condition that 
makes thought vibrations possible. The patient lies 
in a deep sleep, the spark of life has lost its luster. 
In this state the brain matter is inactive, conse- 
quently no mental force is possible. If the foreign 
pressure is removed, before the pendulum of the 
bodily organs ceases to swing, the interchangeable 
action within the brain may be restored and the 
normal mental condition regained. But if the or- 
gans of the body lose their interchanging action, 
those of the brain cannot be restored and death 
ensues. Showing that the organs of the brain are 
dependent upon the organs of the body, and vice- 
versa. It also shows that all intellectual activities 
are indirectly dependent upon the organs of the 
body. Without the body the brain cannot live and 



18 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

Avitliout the brain the intellect cannot live. Thus we 
are forced to believe that the spark of life, the 
thoughts or as we may term it, the spiritual soul 
can be, and is effectually destroyed or discontinued 
when the brain matter is destroyed or disorganized. 

And we are led to believe the phenomena called 
the soul, is in fact simply a condition brought about 
by the interchangeable action of matter comprising 
the animal organism, and can be compared to the 
light of a candle which is also a condition brought 
about by the interchanging action of numerous 
elements, part of which are athmospheric, the others 
contained in combustible materials, these inter- 
clianging chemical actions are rapidly taking place, 
] producing light and heat vibrations. This condition 
is a phenomena and of no less magnitude than the 
phenomena of life. 

When this condition called light, is arrested from 
finy cause, such as snuffing out the candle, the con- 
dition referred to ceases. It does not go on in some 
unseen form, it simply quits its existence. 

Whatever constitutes the spiritual soul, it seems 
it is necessary to create a material body in order 
to create a soul. At least we hear nothing about 
spiritual souls having their origin without a material 
body in which to dwell, this being the case it would 
appear the soul is dependent upon the body for its 
origin, therefore dependent also for its existence. 

Some ecclesiastical philosophers have, for want 
of something tangible to compare the soul with, 
likened it to the electrical current. While these 
currents or volts are not perceptible to the sense of 
sight, they are realized by the sense of touch. Others 
have likened the reality of the soul to light; again 
we note that light is perceptible to the sense of 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 19 

vision, but is not realized by the sense of toneb. And 
as tlie sonl cannot be eitber seen or toucbed, tbere 
cannot be a comparison in tbis way. Yet, if we 
consider tbe spark of life tbe soul, tbey can all be 
compared from tbe materialistic angle, for tbey 
are all tbe result of materialistic energy, witbout 
wbicb none of tbem would bave tbeir being. 

Every animal and reptile, every serpent, insect 
and fowl, bave tbe same spark of life tbat man 
boasts of. No matter bow far down tbe scale of 
life and intelligence tbey', may be, tbey bave every 
requirement tbat man possesses to indicate tbat be 
bas an immortal soul. 

Tbe tbeory tbat man is not an animal is exploded 
by tbe science of pbysiology and comparative anat- 
omy, wbicb teacbes us tbat all animals including 
man, are conceived from a similar embryo and pro- 
toplasm, wbicb are tbe primary and fundamental 
basis of pbysical life. Tbe lower animals are con- 
structed of tbe same material and tissues as man, 
bone, sinew, flesb and born. All of tbem bave prac- 
tically tbe same pbysical organs as does man. Tbeir 
blood is tbe same and performs tbe same functions. 
Tbey inbale tbe same air witb tbe same lungs, and 
for tbe same reason tbat man does. Tbe animal 
digestive tract and assimilation is identical witb 
tbat of man. Tbey are subject to many of tbe same 
ailments and disease, some of wbicb are trans- 
missable to man. Wbile most drugs bave tbe same 
pbysical effect upon animals as tbey do upon tbe 
buman system. 

Many of tbe lower animals are endowed witb 
some of tbe buman emotions, love, bate, fear, mirtb, 
jealousy, etc. All animals are also endowed witb tbe 
same pbj^sical senses as man, seeing, feeling, bear- 



20 HAS IMAX AN IMMOETAL SOUL 

ing, tasting and smelling. They are snbject to mental 
and physical fatigue from which they require rest 
through repose and sleep. 

After a careful comparison of man with the lower 
animals, it is extremely difficult to see in what way 
there is any vast difference. Further comparison 
will reveal the fact that there is far more remote 
similarity between the ape and the dog, than there 
is between the ape and man. 

If man had been the result of long premeditated 
design on the part of the Creator to fill the re- 
quirements of God's most infinite understanding of 
what an absolutely perfect mortal being should be; 
a mortal that should bear the immortal, that is to 
live through eteraity to glorify him, why should he 
fashion this especially elevated being so very near 
in comparison with the ordinary beasts of burden? 
In fact it seems it must have been the intention of 
the Creator to make of man a beast of burden, for 
he is constructed to perform all manner of labor 
and in most cases is compelled, by necessity to and 
appointed by nature, to carry on laborious 
pursuits. Nature gave to man absolutely no ad- 
vantages over the lower animals. It will be argued 
that man was endowed with superior intelligence. 
But it is quite questionable whether the original 
human beings were in advance intellectually, to the 
other animals that inhabited their immediate time 
and territory. 

The intellectual development of man, opens the 
greatest question that has confronted modern Mat- 
erialists, viz: Why and by what means has man's 
intellect developed to a point so far beyond that of 
the lower animals? 

At first glance this question seems to defy all the 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 21 

most careful calculations accessible to science, until 
the right thread of reasoning is discovered. Then it 
is, we are enabled to trace, with minute accuracy, 
each progressive footstep in the evolution of human 
intelligence. 

In this line of investigation there is one pre- 
liminary key to the problem, that when understood 
will make clear many of the mysteries which has 
baffled the lay mind for centuries. Whatever devel- 
opment man has made, intellectually, must be ac- 
counted for directly and wholly, to the invention 
of the language. Through the use of the language 
it was made possible for them to transmit to each 
other new ideas and discoveries. The older gen- 
erations were able to transmit to their children, the 
things they had learned by experience, this of course 
saved time, and made it easier for the younger gen- 
eration to gain new knowledge to add to that taught 
to them by their parents. In more modem times, 
the language has made it possible to store up know- 
ledge through written records for future use. Giv- 
ing to each generation great advantage over their 
predecessors. 

The invention of the language brought about 
another important influence in the development of 
man's intellect, making it possible to establish the 
principal of fusion of thoughts and ideas. The fusion 
of minds, has long been recognized by scientists, 
as the one thing that has evoluted the intelligence 
of the human race so far beyond that of the lower 
animals. 

This principle is very perceptible when we ob- 
serve two scientists, students of the same subject, 
at work in their laboratory. They are co-operating 
for the purpose of fathoming some problem. The 



22 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

first scientist advances his discoveries and ideas 
pertaining to the subject, which may be entirely 
new to the second scientist, and the thought fusion, 
occuring here, bring about new ideas. New avenues 
of thought are opened, often resulting in the im- 
mediate and correct solution of the problem that 
might otherwise have remained in the realm of 
mystery. 

It is this principal of interfusion of minds, that 
is the direct cause of the solving of most of our 
problematical questions both simple and complex. 
It is this incorporation of discoveries, that has made 
possible the rapid strides in the field of invention. 
We see this plainly illustrated when, after years 
of work, an inventor turns out a piece of machinery 
that he considers perfect in every detail. Yet ere 
long, another inventor sees where some part could 
be improved, then some one else improves another 
part, and in a very short period of time, the original 
machine is obsolete. 

It is through the medium of the language that 
interchanging ideas were made possible, in fact, we 
are enabled to trace every phase of human advance- 
ment, directly to the use of the language. This is 
evident, for if man had had no language he would 
have been a dumb animal, plain and simple, and 
would have possessed no more intellectual capacity 
than the lower animal at this time. 

Theologians will claim the language was a gift 
from the Creator at the time of man^s origin. This 
is an impossible situation to have existed, for the 
reason we can trace the continual development of 
the language from an extremely remote time, which 
would indicate that this development has been going 
on through continual transformation for untold 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 23 

oentnries, nnd that it evolved from the most menp^re 
language, composed of simple sounds and signs. 
And as ancient man was primitive in every other 
respect, it remans only logical, to disregard the 
claim that he had a complete and efficient language 
at the beginning of his career on earth. 

Then if we examine some of the facts we have 
learned through the researches made by anthro- 
pologists and archaeologists, we will find these two 
branches of science gives us some idea of the arts 
and customs of primitive man, indicating the state 
of his mind to have been in the very lowest possible 
condition, at his first appearance upon the geo- 
i;>'aphical landscape. Archaeology^ leads us back- 
wards through the iron, copper and bronze ages, 
and then still further backwards, through the 
three progressive stone ages. These different 
ages are named after the material used by those 
ancient men in the construction of their imple- 
ments, in the period in which they lived. There- 
fore, the most ancient stone age is marked by 
the most primitive stone axes, and also indicates 
the most antiquated period in which the human 
being is discernible. 

These fossils are associated with the skeleton of 
most^primitive man and the extinct cave bear. And 
are found at the bottom of prehistoric, drifts and 
caves, in different parts of Europe. These most 
ancient axes are simply pieces of stone that have 
been broken from the larger rocks, irregular in 
shape and size and evincing no particular design, 
except a sharp edge that it might be used as a 
weapon. These weapons were evidently, man's first 
attempt to use an implement to defend himself ^ 
against the ravages of the wild beasts and to aid 



24 HAS MAN AN IMMOETAL SOUL 

him in conquering his prey, and show the very first 
step toward intellectual development. 

At this point looking backwards, biology takes 
up the thread of investigation. She has swept the 
preceding centuries in an effort to fathom the 
mysteries surrounding the origin of animated beings. 
Biology endeavors to trace organic life backwards 
through great periods of time, to an age when such 
life was in the form of the moneron, which dimly 
explained, is an animal organism so far down the 
scale of life, as to possess no physical organs. 

If we are desirous of looking further into this in- 
teresting subject, it will be necessary for us to rely 
upon the most powerful and modern microscopes, 
which reveal the fact that all animal and plant 
bodies are originated primarily, and individually, 
with what is known to biology as the single cell. 
These extremely minute portions are so tiny that 
until the advent of the microscope, they were wholly 
unknown. So small are they that many thousands 
of them are required to produce even the smallest 
portion of tissue, that can be seen with the naked 
eye. Yet under these great microscopes they are 
discerned to be separate, living particles of animal 
or plant life. A curious feature of these cells is 
that they are almost identical, in all animals as well 
as all plants. It being difficult to discern the dif- 
ference betwen the single cells of the ox, and those 
of the lily, as they vary only slightly in shape and 
acti^dty. Tliis variation seems to be the dividing 
line which signifes the variety or family of living 
matter to which it belongs. 

These minute elementary units are more or less 
independent of each other, all capable of multiplying. 
All parts of the body are composed of them, the 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 25 

hark, wood,, leaves and roots, are composed of these 
little vesicles which have a striking similarity to 
the cellular structures that make up the composition 
of bone, flesh, blood and horny substances of the 
animal organism. 

It has been established that the ovum of animals 
is 'a single cell and when it begins to develop to 
form the embryo, it first simply divides into two 
halves, thus producing two distinct cells. Each of 
these in turn, divide, giving four new cells, by this 
repeated process of division there arises a solid 
mass of cells, held together with cohesive substances. 

Of course they must be nourished to promote 
liTowth. Meanwhile the whole animal or plant body 
is formed out of these rapidly, dividing and develop- 
ing masses of cells. And as the different parts of 
the body are formed out of these minute cells, they 
begin to take on different degrees of density, ac- 
cording to the density of the structure they are to 
form. 

If we wish to approach the frontier of wisdom on 
this subject, and we ask the biologist to describe the 
single cell. He will tell us it is composed of a 
granual substance covered with a membrane, both 
of which are more or less complex and dense, ac- 
cording to the tissue they are to build. Then recently 
with the aid of the most improved microscopes, there 
has been discovered in each of these single cells a 
tiny germ or nucelous and when these germs are 
properly fertilized, they throw out two thread like 
fibres in oposite directions, which in turn, begin the 
formation of a new germ at their extremities. These 
new germs are fed upon the body of the original 
germ until it is absorbed, at which time, the two 
new germs are full grown, when the old casing 



Lb HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

being swollen, begins to divide thns two new single 
eells are matured. 

It must be remembered that this dividing process 
is carried on very rapidly, only a few minutes are 
required for the full development of new cells. This 
process is continued throughout the entire lifetime 
of the animal or plant. The dead or worn out, 
particles of the old cells are thrown otf from the 
body, while new ones are constantly being formed 
to replace them. 

This little single cell has given scientists more 
reason to believe that all animals including man, 
originated from a common cause and beginning, 
than any other observ^ation. And we shall see that 
man's existence upon the earth today, in his present 
high state of development, is the result of necessity 
and not design. 

Though, just how the first form of life as a single 
cell originated, is not definitely known. Yet it is 
well defined that all living things can be definitely 
traced to the single cell. And that each species of 
animals have evolved from a lower type, is beyond 
question. Then following this line of evolutionary 
descent that is inevitable, we have no reason to 
doubt that the prcoess has been going on, through 
countless ages, numbered in fact, by millions of 
years, if not millions of centuries. 

And as it is only possible to trace the race of 
mankind so short a distance back into the dim past, 
compared to the immense lapse of time, necessary 
to bring him from a lower species, up to the period 
we can trace him back to. It is plain, there could 
be no remains of the pregenerated, species preced- 
ing man. Therefore, we can only surmise that if a 
scientist of today, could see one of those pregener- 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 27 

ates, be would compare it with the apes and mon- 
keys. 

This is not saying that it was an ape or monkey, 
for such a statement could have no positive reason 
for its assertion, because as formerly stated, there 
is not a vestige of remains from which to form an 
opinion of the pre-human being. 

If this chain of descent could be connected as 
most scientists are satisfied — not only lies within the 
bounds of reason— but is altogether probable, than 
it would not be a difficult matter to trace all forms 
of animal life to a common source. 

At this time, there is no scientific evidence sup- 
porting a belief in spontaneous origin of any form 
of life. Yet the geological and atmospheric, con- 
ditions, might have been such, at some far remote 
period of the earth's life time, that these conditions 
did exist and that life was really produced spon- 
taneously. This is not only possible but highly 
probable, and it is likely under those conditions, 
life was produced through the medium of the single 
cell, which evolved into myriads of different forms 
of animated organisms. These would be reduced 
to a desirable verity and quantity by the laws of 
'^survival of the fittest '\ This suggestion is of- 
fered only as a possibility, but does not carry with 
it enough weight to justify it as a theory. 

We have biologically, traced life backwards, from 
the first stone age. Now let us start at that period 
and trace it forward. While we examine the im 
plements of the second stone age. It will be seen 
the people made considerable advancement from the 
first period. From the fact, these stone axes were 
better made in every way, they were more uniform 
and polished to some extent. While the third stone 



ZO HAS MAN AN IMMOETAL SOUL 

age shows greater development and progress. These 
tools were carefully hewed from stone and bore 
fairly good cutting edges, they were neatly fash- 
ioned and highh^ jDolished, while carvings decorated 
their surfaces. 

The iron, copper and bronze ages record the 
further process in the progress of primitive man. 
Showing to us, the sturdy march of progression of 
those days, as we see it going on before our eyes 
today. 

The progress of primitive man was not thought 
to have been very rapid, in fact it is evident that it 
was very slow. Archaeologists have estimated the 
time of the first stone age to date back at least 
thirty-seven thousand years. And his line of descent 
is traceable, in a way, therefrom down through the 
ages, bringing it nearer and nearer to the time our 
ancestry can be traced back to. 

After a careful consideration of the foregoing 
summaries, it would appear that we have ample 
reason for believing that mankind, evolved from an 
animal in no way higher than the so-called lower 
animal. And that he had little or no language at 
the time of the first stone age. 

The language, being in no way different from 
other human achievements, evidently has gone 
through a continual course of improvement. This 
we are certain of, for vast improvements have been 
made in the language within our own epoch. It is 
interesting to note, that with the improvement of 
the language, just that fast, the general condition 
of the people have advanced and improved. 

If the language had been a gift at creation as 
orthodox}^ suggest it to have been, it would have 
been perfect from the beginning as orthodoxy 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 29 

agrees it was. Therefore, man would have always 
been in a perfect state of civilization, for any race 
with a perfect language is perfectly civilized, this is 
evident from the fact that scientific terms are of 
no use to any but those of scientific mind. Thus 
we are forced to the conclusion, he who wrote the 
orthodox contentions, did not have a correct un- 
derstanding of the origin of man. 

Evolutionary principles are responsible for what- 
ever improvement the language has made, as these 
principles are responsible for every other phase [ f 
human advancement and development, as well as 
those made by the animal and plant kingdoms. In 
fact evolutionary principles are evident on every 
hand, steadfastly guiding the course, of every thing 
upon the earth. The earth itself, the whole mat- 
erial universe, suns and stars, it is ever at work, 
never a moment lost, all things are brought through 
immeasureable time and innumerable changes, to 
their present form through its influence. Its entire 
energy is exerted toward the development of all 
things. 

AVliile evolution is at this time, one of the so-called 
natural laws every influence that it appears to ex- 
hibit, can be directly traced to the cause of necessity. 
The first principles of the language was the out- 
come of necessity and each improvement tliereof has 
only come when necessity demanded it. 



CHAPTER II. 

Will/ the mvention of the theory of the Soulf 

At what time was it invented, and who was the 
inventor? To answer these questions intelligently it 
will be necessary for the reader to turn the hands 
of time backwards, until he arrives at the dawn of 
civilization. At that time the masses of the people 
were very ignorant, there being a few among them 
who possessed superior intelligence, living far in 
advance of their time, just as we see a few, of the 
more intelligent of our present generation. These 
few were capable of peering into the future and 
predicting the necessities that awaited the progress 
of civilization. 

As has been the case in all generations, these 
more enlightened individuals were selected as lead- 
ers or teachers of the masses, it was evident it was 
necessary for these leaders to gain control of the 
masses. Therefore it was necessary for them to 
formulate some plan by which their subjects could 
be kept in subjection. They could not do this by 
force of arms, for the masses were too greatly in the 
majority, they could not threaten them with physical 
or mental punishment for the same reason. But if 
civilization was to progress, it was certainly neces- 
sary that they have some simple rules or laws that 
all would have to abide by. 

At this time another natural law came to the sur- 
face, and was plainly viewed by those leaders, this 
was the law of ^'survival of the fittest,*^ while a 
branch of the law of evolution, yet does not seem 
to fit well into the process of civilization, in this 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 31 

particular the rules of civilization have transgressed 
tlie laws of nature, to a considerable degree, claim- 
ing that all men were created equal and should re- 
main the same. Yet those people were adherent 
to the law of *' survival of the fittest" in that they 
selected the smartest men of their tribes and races 
as rulers. 

It is evident the masses were strongly endow^ed 
with the principles of '^ survival of the fittest" and 
were intent on carr\ang out their rights under those 
principles, making it extremely difficult for the 
rulers to enforce the new laws, laid down by the 
founders of civilization. It is to be assumed that 
all resources were exhausted before necessity, the 
^* mother of invention" appeared with a new scheme. 

They could not punish the massive numbers of 
transgressors of the new law here, but could punish 
them hereafter. 

It was at this time the character of the immortal 
soul began to take form. Its description would in- 
dicate that it was a spiritual being that dwelt in 
the body during the lifetime of every individual, 
but left the body at the time of death This so- 
called soul was said to be indestructible and capable 
of living on and on throughout eternity. It was 
claimed the soul possessed the senses of the body, 
that it could suffer pain and anguish. It was also 
said to be capable of being happy and experiencing 
enjoyments under favorable and bl'ssful circum- 
stances. 

It is not probable that the crude theory of a here- 
after life, originated at this time, for it seems to be 
a fact that so far as it is possible to retrace the dim 
l^ast, mankind seems to have had som(i faint idea 
that he would live on after death. Theologians have 



6*^ HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

used this argument as strong evidence supporting 
their claim of the reality of the soul and hereafter 
life. 

On the other hand, if we will retrace the annals 
of history and tradition, then on to prehistoric time, 
and from there let our mental forces penetrate the 
mist on and on, letting our imagination depict 
primitive man at the time when his mind first 
emerged from the intelligence of the lower animal, 
when his first mental forces were awarded the pos- 
sibility of deductions, his mind then opened to 
av4 nues of reason. 

It was at this time he first cam.e to realize that 
\ie would some day have to meet death. Then the 
question came to him, why was he created to live 
so short a time? In this anxious inquiry his life 
became miserable, but in time, relief came to him in 
the thought that it was possible he might live on 
some how, some where, again after death. And 
while the tangled threads of reason forming tli em- 
selves in his mentality, in an endeavor to unravel 
this Skein of mystery, this simple conjecture was 
transformed into a firm belief in a hereafter life. 
Though he could have had no theory or idea as to 
how the miracle was to be performed, for it is not 
reasonable to suppose that man at such a primitive 
stage could be capable of forming anything like a 
theory on a subject that has staggered the imagi- 
native faculties of every generation following him. 
Moreover, when we examine all the different phases 
of the different religious doctrines, one predominat- 
ing precept is seen to stand out more prominent than 
all the rest. It is the ever holding before the people 
the assurance that the soul is in constant danger 
of perditional punishment, and for only the slightest 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 33 

offense. Showing this to be the main object of the 
claims of the existence of the soul. It then seems 
probable that the faint idea conceived by the stone 
age dweller, was simply a coincidence, and not a 
supernatural inspiration. His power of reason 
could have given to him no other conception of a 
hereafter life, different in any way, than that which 
he had experienced. A conception of Heaven or 
Hell was entirely out of his reach and unnecessary 
in his mode of living. 

Having invented an immortal soul for man, for the 
specific purpose of punishing it, after death of the 
material body, it became necessary to find some 
form of punishment. This was not difficult, it was 
an easy matter to describe a pit into which the 
transgressors soul should be hurled. Why a pit! 
Those people of the semi-civilized ages, had a great 
horror of being thrown into a pit, probably because 
pits had been used among their tribes to dispose 
of their undesirable members. This particular pit 
was bottomless, which added to its horror, and it 
was filled with fire which should burn for ever and 
ever. (It appears the more modern conception has 
transformed this place of torture into a lake fire.) 

However its description was calculated to impart 
to the people the most terrible destruction possible 
for the mind of primitive man to conceive. If he 
had known of any thing more terrible he certainly 
would have added it. It would be almost impossible 
for a modern scientist to formulate from the whole 
category of chemical knowledge, a more frightful 
termination for objective man. This infernal region 
was termed Hell— translated. 

Why was not Hell filled with corrosive chemicals 
instead of fire! The answer is clear, the inventor 



34 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

of tlie theory of Hell knew nothing of such elements, 
while fire was well understood and was known to 
produce intense pain when applied to the flesh; 
therefore, it was not difficult to make the masses 
of the people understand the awfulness of being 
cast into such a place and burned for ever. They 
were taught they would suffer this unutterable 
punishment for the most frivolous offense, while in 
the flesh. Especially any dissension with the wise 
men — as those teachers were then called — even to 
doubting anything they saw fit to teach as divine 
truth, was an unforgivable sin that the soul must 
suff'er for throughout eternity. 

With the invention of Hell, it was verj^ clear, it 
would be necessary to have an overseer to take 
charge and administer the awful fate, to the shrink- 
ing souls. He was described as being half man and 
half beast, with hideous horns and cloven hoofs and 
a forked tail. This being was supposed to be able to 
transform himself into almost any form of disguise, 
in this way the people could not recognize him and 
tliey would not know at what moment he might nab 
them, if they were not living the letter of the law. 

He was also described as being a spirit and stand- 
ing at the elbow of everyone, at all times, while 
his overpowering influence was ever urging them 
to do wrong. This awful demon ^s name was Satan 
or Devil, and at the merest mention of his name 
every one would tremble with fear. 

As time went on, of course the people became 
more intelligent, and questions sometimes arose in 
their minds, which when presented, had to be met 
by the wise men, for they were assumed to be all 
wise. One important question was: How was it 
possible to burn a spiritual soul in a material Hell! 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 35 

This was a baffling question to be solved by the 
wise men, with limited resource of knowledge. As 
will be seen by the ensuing answer, which was as 
follows. At a certain time after the end of the 
world, there will be a day of resurrection, at this 
time all the particles of the material body will be 
gathered together, reorganized, and the soul will 
inhabit it again, and then the whole structure will 
be tossed into the fiery pit to remain alive, and 
sensible to its tortures, for ever and ever. 

Just where the soul is from the time of death 
until the day of resurrection is not made clear, as 
no explanation is offered. The resurrection theory 
is handed to us as a concrete fact and with no 
question or resistance on the part of the average 
person. Such a deduction must have had its origin 
in the mind of a savage or barbarian, for there 
is absolutely nothing in science that would indicate 
that such a theory has a legitimate right to exist. 

Many other questions came up, none of which 
were any more correctly answered. But the next 
important question in order was — if they were to 
be punished for sins done in the flesh, why should 
they not be rewarded for living the righteous life! 
This demand of the people brought about the neces- 
sity for the invention of a place where the soul 
could be delivered to rest in perfect ease, peace and 
happiness, a place where no pain or sorrow should 
enter, where perflect bliss should reign supreme 
and eternal. This place was (translated) Heaven, 
in name. That it is a material Heaven is evident, 
if we are to draw our conclusions from the only 
history we possess on the subject for this states the 
foundation of heaven is garnished with all manner 
of precious stones, sapphires, emeralds, etc. Heaven 



36 HAS MAN AN IMMOETAL SOUL 

is also described as having walls great and high 
built of jasper (qnartz) ; the streets are made of 
pure gold, while the gates, twelve in number, are 
each single pearls. These are all material. There 
is nothing that could be designed as spiritual about 
Heaven. 

With the idea of a material Heaven, as with a 
material Hell, it was necessary to entertain the res- 
urrection myth, to associate the spiritual soul with 
the material Heaven. No attempt whatever has 
been made to locate Heaven or Hell. The fact that 
they are of material construction would lead us to 
believe that they must have a material base on 
which to stand. We are positive they do not stand 
upon the earth. Therefore, we have no scientific 
reason for beliving that they exist at all. Tradition 
merely makes the statement that these two places, 
of after-life abode, exist in some mysterious way 
and place. But tradition also has made many claims 
that are completely exploded by scientific investi- 
gation, thus, we can place but little confidence in 
any statements she makes, that cannot be verified 
by more reliable authority. 

As civilization progressed, man continually gained 
wisdom. Some began to think seriously, others 
were of philosophical turn of mind. Another great 
question presented itself, perhaps the greatest ques- 
tion that was ever cultured in the mind of man. 
This was the question of creation. By what force 
was creation of all things brought about! While 
this stupendous inquiry has, in a way, baffled the 
efforts of most modern scientists, who have at- 
tempted to fathom its mysteries, it was no effort 
for the so-called wise man of the earlier centuries, 
to satisfy the masses of the people by simply in- 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 37 

venting a Deity. He was represented as being a 
man. This is evident from the fact, tradition tell us, 
he created man in his own image. Man was, of 
course, the highest type of being it was possible 
for the inventor to conceive. 

This Deity or God was purported to be all wise 
and all powerful as well as all merciful. That is 
to say: He had full and minute control over every 
detail of the entire universe. 

He was also supposed to be a spirit as in the 
case of Satan. God is alleged to be standing by 
the side of each and every one, noting every act 
and deed. Yet we must assume that he is a material 
God for the reason, he is reported to be in form, a 
man, and dwell in a material Heaven. Then tra- 
dition states that he was seen and heard, and only 
material beings can be seen or heard. It is also 
clear that a spiritual God could have no place in 
a material Heaven amoijg material angels. (Note 
the resurrection.) 

This is the God that was introduced by the ancient 
wise men to clear up the mystery surrounding the 
creation and control, life and destiny of the material 
universe. At the moment the wise man gave al- 
legiance to his theory of an omnipotent God said, 
wise man was immediately transferred to another 
realm. He did not know all things as was formerly 
supposed, his word was no longer law, he began to 
lose prestige and in some cases lost favor. He was 
now only the servant of the infinite God. 

These wise men did not relinquish their lordly 
positions out of any choice of their own. It was 
a demand upon them from the people, they wanted 
their instructions direct from the all wise God, but 
they were led to believe there were only a few indi- 



38 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

viduals among them who were selected or ordained 
to act as intermediators between man and God. 
These men of God — as they were then called— 
were supposed to have revelations or audiences with 
God, in which they received from him, instructions 
for the guidance of the people. 

Now the people of those days, like the people of 
the present time, tolerated this preposterous de- 
lusion, out of an intent desire for light on these sub- 
jects. Any semblance of an explanation for the 
mysteries surrounding the after life, and the neces- 
sary requirements to attain it, was eagerly received. 

Wlien the people of those days came to believe 
they could obtain the real truth regarding these 
matters, direct from God through the medium, they 
then and there demanded an explanation or creation. 
And if an all wise God had responded to a question 
assuming proportions of such momentousness, they 
might reasonably expect an explanation embodying 
voluminous magnitude, and eminently embracing 
profound intricacy. But not so, they received an 
answer so wanting significance, as to assure the Mat- 
erialist that it was only the product of a primitive 
mind. The answer was as follows, God created the 
heavens and the earth, and every living creature. 
If an all wise God had responded to a request for 
an explanation of creation, he would doubtless have 
given a clear and intelligent description of the event. 
While the evidence, in fact, shows the answer given 
by the ancient wise man was only an effort on his 
part to evade the question, he really knew no more 
about than the most ignorant member of his tribe, 
he made no effort whatever to explain by what 
means or process God made the heavens and the 
earth. 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 39 

An all wise God would have known of the intel- 
lectual ages to come, and he would have known that 
at that time this question would have to be scien- 
tifically and intelligently answered. And he would 
have ottered some such solution as the modern scien- 
tists have done in presenting the nebulous theory 
which goes on to say, originally all suns were in a 
nebulour or ultra-gaseous state which was scattered 
pretty uniformly throughout space, that the matter 
composing the nebulue, gradually became condensed 
and finally began to gravitate toward certain centers. 
Though not all of these particles moved in the same 
direction or with the same velocity, thus rotation 
would be established in the entire mass, then spheri- 
cal forms were produced, and by the force of friction, 
heat was produced. By radiation of heat the body 
condensed and contracted which causes the velocity 
of rotation to increase. 

Then the centrifugal force overcomes the force of 
gravity and rings are thrown oif. (The rings herein 
mentioned are the same as those now visible about 
the planet Saturn.) These rings gradually become 
globular, and are the beginning of a new planet, 
which revolve in an orbit around the center of 
mother body. Several of the rings might be cast off 
from one central body before it became too cool for 
the process to continue. The central body would 
then have a whole system of planets moving 
around it. 

The immense velocity in rotation, produced by the 
force of friction, created tremendous heat in the cen- 
ters, which heated space for millions of miles around 
them. In time the force of condensation was ex- 
hausted, by reason of the body becoming solidified, 
and then the force of friction and gravity caused the 



40 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

speed of rotation to slacken, consequential!}^ cooling 
of the celestial body began. By this progressive 
course the crust of the earth was formed. And so on. 

However, the ancient wise men did not offer any 
such solution ; they evaded the interrogative entirely 
by making the simple statement— God made it. Such 
an answer might be expected to evolve from a child 
mind, but it is too simple and does not answer the 
question. However unsatisfactory the answer was, 
the people were compelled to accept it as divine truth, 
because for only disbelief they were held face to face 
with the eternal punishment of Hell. 

It might be argued the reason these questions 
were not more plainly and scientifically explained, as 
well as truthfully met, was on account of the igno- 
rance of the masses ; they could not have understood. 
Be it remembered, those answers were final ; no fur- 
ther explanation was to be given. They were intend- 
ed to apply to those generations no more than all 
generations to follow. Then tradition tells us that 
man's mind was clear from beginning; under those 
conditions he would have been able to comprehend 
scientific deductions at that time, could he have re- 
ceived them. 

While it is true the vade explanation of creation, 
as given by traditional authority is apparently sat- 
isfying to a large percentage of the people at the 
present time, yet the scholars and thinkers are re- 
jecting the statements of the ancient philosopher as 
erroneous and incompetent. 

With the present rapid advancement of the masses 
it seems certain the time will come when the doc- 
tnnes of the ancient and ignorant wise men will be 
looked upon in the same light that we are viewing 
the fables of ancient ghosts and goblins. It was not 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 41 

difficult to abstract these myths from the minds of 
rather ignorant people, for it was an easy matter to 
prove their inexistence by simple, but scientific dem- 
onstrations, that none could doubt. 

And so it will eventually be with the ancient myths 
giving rise to the theory of the soul. Heaven and Hell. 
Science has lined up a chain of undoubtable evidence 
to prove the fallacy of those myths, which will be 
freely dispensed when the masses are ready for the 
question and capable of receiving the answer. 

The legend of the immortal soul will be exploded. 
The dispersion of the ecclesiastical Heaven and Hell 
fables is certain. Moreover, the theory of the man 
God, together with his satanic majesty, will be dis- 
pelled, as will be the poetic fiction of the fanciful 
Christ. 

Why should Materialism make these predictions? 
Why should not the world go on intoxicated and en- 
raptured in these mythological superstitions! Why 
is not mankind better off under these conditions, 
though they may be false, than he would be were he 
in full possession of the truth regarding the genesis 
of his race, as well as the termination! 

There can be but one answer to these questions, 
which is expressed in these few words : Civilization, 
science and education can never hope to attain their 
highest pinnacle of perfection until all mythological 
fallacy and superstitious doctrines are erased from 
the tablets of research, and only the absolute and 
strictest truth is sought, and attained, to a point 
where there can be no further argument or dissen- 
sion. 

Sublime faith in myth does not brighten the intel- 
lect, but breeds ignorance. And ignorance is not 
likely to form an impartial estimate. A false reli- 



42 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

gious impression is too apt to become a settled fact, 
then when a scientific searchlight is turned upon it 
and its claims refuted, those who have been misguid- 
ed by its teachings are wrought with rage, and their 
minds are not applicable to reason. 

Proper conceptions of ideal puritj^ have been 
stunted by pretext religious faith. Unfettered rea- 
son must have liberty to investigate data and creden- 
tials of religious doctrines, for theology is essentially 
an unprogressive study, as it does not permit of 
ruthless, scientific investigation. It is plain that if 
the first principles of religion are not divine, the fact 
will sooner or later asseii; itself, and the structure 
is sure to fall. Therefore, why should we try to dis- 
guise untruths by discouraging investigation, and so 
assist in retarding intellectual development! 

Many facts in history have proven that erroneous 
religious ideas have effectually retarded progress of 
civilization. It was not theology that uncovered 
proofs of evolution. It was by no efforts of the 
church that the rudimentary^ astronomical calcu- 
lations were devised. Ecclesiasts did not propound 
geological deductions. Piety did not furnish the 
groundstone of biology. 

Through all preceding centuries of civilization re- 
ligion has laid her restraining hand on all specula- 
tions pertaining to natural science. Theology and 
the church did not consider the facts disclosed by sci- 
ence disproved their doctrine. On the contrary, 
claimed that the mere fact that their findings were 
contrary to the teachings of the church, disproved 
them and were evidence enough that they were mali- 
cious falsehoods, intended for no other purpose than 
to dethrone God. 

Magnus, together with many other promising sci- 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 43 

elitists of the middle ages, was forced to abandon his 
researches and avow his convictions to the claims of 
theolog\% who claimed all destructive, natural phe- 
nomena, such as wind, lightning, storms and earth- 
quakes, etc., were under the directing finger of God, 
and their destroying influences were administered 
as a rebuke for the sins of the people. But about 
1750 Franklin discovered electricity and invented the 
lightning rod, thereby limiting its havoc, which reli- 
gious prayer had failed to do. 

As late as the seventeenth century chemistry was 
considered one of the de^dlish arts. In 1624 the Par- 
liament of Paris prohibited its study in colleges. At 
that time deadly gasses and poisons were believed to 
be agents of the devil, but as soon as the science of 
chemistry was permitted to take its course they were 
discovered to be of material aid to human welfare. 

Until a very late period sickness and disease were 
considered by the church to be agencies of the evil 
spirit and were combatted with prayer and interces- 
sion of the saints. But with the advent of chemistry 
and therapeutics, most poison elements, supposed to 
have been placed on earth by Satan, were discovered 
to possess medical properties, that when understood 
and properly administered, were extremely potent in 
arresting the course of human ills. 

The early church even prohibited the practice of 
surgery, believing it to be sinful and against the will 
of God. Yet both medicine and surgery have assert- 
ed themselves through scientific indulgence in a way 
that disproves the former assertions and contentions 
of the Christian church. 

These, together with many other examples, will 
clearly show that the early church practiced its male- 
factions and misguiding theories against the prog- 



44 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL. 

ress of civilization, and that under such misguid- 
ance human progress was actually retarded for hun- 
dreds of years. Yet the church of today is teaching 
many of the time-worn superstitions and fallacies, 
and pretend to prove their truthfulness by assum- 
ing the scriptures to be divine. 

Falsehoods cannot be transformed into truths by 
teaching them to our children in the name of the 
Lord. Because those same falsehoods were taught 
to us in infancy, does not make them any better food 
for the brains of our infants. They only dull the in- 
tellect by placing the individual in a state of mind 
which prevents him from welcoming the true char- 
acter of these subjects when they are presented to 
him for consideration. No people can become large 
mentally with the mind fettered with the fiction of an 
ignorant age. The weak and plastic mind of a child 
is easily molded in any form ; it will receive impres- 
sions that will, under ordinary circumstances, re- 
main sacred throughout its entire lifetime. It makes 
no difference whether these impressions are facts or 
fiction, they will have their lasting effect. 

If the child is taught to believe all the Bible falla- 
cies are divine truth, and that he should abhor and 
shun any and all information that tends to contradict 
the sacred scriptural doctrines, and is matured un- 
der these influences, he will never experience a state 
of mind in which he can throw off the yoke of the fic- 
titious belief. Therefore, he will make little or no 
advancement in intellectuality. While, on the other 
hand, if he has been taught to accept no theory that 
is not supported by reasonable proof, his mind will 
always be in a susceptible condition to receive the 
new and good intellectual substances as they present 
themselves. 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 45 

With SO many different forms of religion in the 
world, including all of the many oriental religions, 
together with the hundreds of different so-called 
Christian religions, and cults without number, all of 
which are based on about the same line of traditional 
authority, there can be no harmony. Each all right 
in their own estimation and all wrong in the estima- 
tion of all the rest. Each presenting their own ideas 
of the redemption of the immortal soul, which are 
at the most only flimsy and imaginary fancies. Yet 
they all claim the same tradition gives them reason 
for their existence and disproves the claims of the 
others. 

What facts science has established are immovable 
and it is this kind of knowledge we should seek. Al- 
though all substantial facts cannot be established at 
once. But the sooner scholars begin to unravel mys- 
teries from the scientific end, the sooner intellectu- 
ality will mount the summit of infinite wisdom. 

None of the religious sects are asking men to seek 
the scientific truth concerning their doctrines, but ai'e 
holding before them their particular superstitious 
dogmas, none of which can give any assurance of 
authentic reliability. In fact nothing more than a 
few chapters of questionable tradition are offered to 
offset the world of contradictory, scientific knowl- 
edge. 

Why does modern man adhere to religious faith as 
though it were a part of his very being! Where did 
such tendency derive its origin! Or, in other words, 
what is there in man's composition that seems to 
make religious faith necessary! 

To obtain proper understanding of the qualified 
answer to this question, we should analyze the prime 
principle of human emotion. In this it will be neces- 



46 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

sary to observe some of the natural sensations of 
man,, which is a form of instinct. These may be ob- 
served only on rare occasions, such as when a per- 
son is suddenly and profoundly startled by an unrec- 
ognized sound or sight. At first he is held spell- 
bound with fright ; this condition is caused by inten- 
sive concentration of the mind upon the cause ; every 
muscle is held tense and beyond control. The indi- 
vidual stands in this rigid condition several seconds 
or until another form of instinct, which we recognize 
as curiosity, begins to have its eifect. 

The intense desire on the part of the individual to 
determine the cause has a tendency to bring the sys- 
tem out of this phenomenal spell and a normal men- 
tal activity is regained. 

What do we learn from this observation? First: 
The animal fear so predominant in all animals in the 
wild state, is more or less prominent in man, which 
creates an intense desire to evade, or prepare, in 
every possible way for impending or possible harm. 
Thus we have the root of all religious preparation 
against desolation. Secondly: We perceive natural 
inquisitiveness, so potent in men of modem civiliza- 
tion, yet more or less perceptible in the primitive hu- 
man race, and to some extent in the lower animals. 
And here we have the root of scientific investigation. 



CHAPTER III. 

We often hear the statement that religion has 
paved the way through all time for civilization. That 
it has gone with civilization cannot be denied. Yet 
religion cannot truthfully claim credit for lifting 
civilization to the high plane it now attains. For we 
have only to retrace a few short years of authentic 
history to find, preceding the sixteenth century, the 
people had religion in its most vivid form. What 
progress did civilization make durng those ages of 
religious domination? The facts are, it made little 
or no progress ; intellectuality stood almost still dur- 
ing this time. 

It was not until modern science dawned upon the 
world that intellectuality and civilization started on 
their onward and upward course. While religion 
never aided science in any way, but battled with it at 
every place they came in contact, every fact brought 
to light through scientific research, that in any way 
disproved the teachings of the church, were at once 
put down by the authorities as heresy, the statements 
were audaciously criticised and the author was se- 
verely punished, even to life imprisonment, and in 
many instances they paid the death penalty. 

x\n illustrious example is sighted when the father 
of astronomy, Galileo, at the age of seventy, was sub- 
mitted to the tortures of the rack, from which he 
died in Rome in 1633. He was condemned to this 
fate by the judges, cardinals and prelates of the holy 
congregation, for having announced his discovery of 
the stationary position of the sun and the planetary 
movements of the earth. 

There are those among the more devout at the 

(47) 



48 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

present time who think science is doing more harm 
than good, by reason of its continually uncovering 
facts that tend to refute some of the erroneous state- 
ments set forth by the Bible. They take the Bible 
to be the word of God, therefore the infallible truth. 
Another class are trying to inveigle themselves into 
thinking science is teaching the same facts as are 
taught by the Bible. This class have been convinced 
by scientific evidences, and are making a desperate 
attempt to make themselVes believe it is supporting 
the Bible. 

It is true that a person can be taught ignorance 
and may become very erudite in fallacy. Thus we 
see an ancient relic in the fear of Hell still manifest- 
ing itself among many at this time. They are casting 
asunder all scientific advantages, never daring to 
question the infallibility of the Bible, seeking no 
further infonnation^ satisfied with what they con- 
sider a declaration of divine truth. 

Let us just examine the word truth. Many think 
that which they were taught in a religious way is the 
truth. Then that which is the truth to one person is 
not the truth to another person, according to what 
their earlier religious education has been, and the 
word loses its significance. If a Materialist were 
asked to define the word ^Hruth" he would say, '*It 
is the conclusion arrived at after all scientific inves- 
tigation has been exhausted, or where a scientific 
demonstration can be made.'' Again, a scientific 
truth is a fact that never changes. Scientists have 
been accused of changing their deductions at times, 
which is very possible, but if they do it is because 
they did not have a complete conception of the 
subject. However, there is no proof that scientific- 
ally established truths ever change. For instance: 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 49 

It lias been demonstrated that fire burns; this is a 
scientific truth and will never change. Water 
quenches fire ; this is another tested truth and cannot 
be doubted. These phenomena s are controlled by 
natuarl laws that never change their course; there- 
fore the result never changes. 

It is true that scientists are not always correct in 
their deductions; they only try to be correct; they 
seek the truth from facts in evidence. If the evi- 
dence is insufficient they are apt to blunder. If the 
evidence is sufficient or abundant, then he is reason- 
ably certain of the ground on which he stands. If 
he is asked to explain the formation of the earth, he 
leads us through a course in astronomy, geology, 
mineralogy, chemistry, and physics. Each branch 
of science is fathomed; we are given no other proofs 
than those in evidence. When he has finished we 
have a clear understanding, based upon natural sci- 
ence and philosophical survey. While the man God 
theory of creation is based upon feeble tradition and 
insidious mythology. 

Theology asserts God to be a monstrous man sit- 
ting upon a throne in an imaginary Heaven, which is 
situated in some obscure place. This was the con- 
ception of the would-be philosopher of remote civ- 
ilized time. This God was simply a king. His in- 
ventor could conceive nothing more sublime, but he 
was an all-wise and all-powerful and all-merciful 
God. He was the designer of every phase of crea- 
tion. Let us see if it is possible for one being to 
possess all the requirements assigned to the man God 
of ancient tradition. 

If he is all wise, he is evidently aware of the im- 
pending disasters that are continually befalling man. 
If he is all powerful, it is^ of course, within his power 



50 HAS MAN AN IMMOKTAL SOUL 

to prevent them, and if lie was all loving and merci- 
ful he certainly would prevent all such catastrophes. 
While the facts remain that calamities of every mag- 
nitude, of every degree of horror, always have been, 
and always will be, overtaking mankind along the 
road of experience, it is almost positive proof that no 
intelligent mind is presiding over them, or has any 
control in any way thereof. 

If God has no control over such conditions, he has 
been misrepresented; he is not the all-powerful be- 
ing he has been purported to be. If he is all merciful 
and has created all things in accordance with theory 
and design, how will it be explained that from the 
earliest life upon the globe the world has been a con- 
tinuous scene of warfare ? All the land and sea have 
been full of strife and battle for supremacy and ex- 
istence. Many species are so constructed it is neces- 
sary for them to live upon the bodies of others. Thus 
cruelty is the general order of things. Did an all- 
merciful God design it? 

Look at the small proportion of the human race 
born that reach maturity, and a much smaller pro- 
portion of the animal kingdom, especially those in 
the wild state. From millions of fish eggs produced 
only a few dozen fishes reach maturity. The main 
cause of destruction among wild animals, birds and 
fishes is the stronger ones, impelled by hunger, prey 
upon the weaker generations. Or, unable to obtain 
food, they are starved to death in immense numbers. 
Where is mercy and design manifested here! 

Every animal and plant is the object of innumer- 
able forms of insect and disease pests. The external 
body of every animal, including man, is the natural 
habitat of numerous species of parasite, flies, mo- 
squitos, fleas and lice, etc. Wliile micro-organisms 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 51 

numbered by the dozens of varieties, live within the 
bodily tissues, all of which subsist by absorbing the 
juices of the body. Many are equipped by nature 
with appliances whereby they are enable to burrow 
themselves into any part of the animal body. And 
they are all made to "be fruitful and multiply'' to 
an incredible degree. What shall we say of this or- 
der of things! 

Let us examine the history of mankind during 
all his sojourn upon the earth. In his iniquity, 
through his ignorance, he suffered violent death in 
incalculable numbers, and for ages they were de- 
voured by their own kind, as well as the wild beasts. 
While at the present time conditions little better pre- 
vail in some lands. 

Then under the most favorable conditions which 
man can live, he suffers from a multitude of causes. 
Natural processes are often his worst enemies. 
Floods, drouths and all manner of insect, disease and 
weed pests, destroy his crops and rob him of his pa- 
tient toil. Storms, earthquakes and volcanoes de- 
vastate his places of abode. Sudden changes of the 
weather occur, to which he is unable to adjust him- 
self. Destructive contagion, from unknown sources, 
overtake him, destroy his health and shorten his 
years, thereby marring his peace. Would an all mer- 
ciful God permit these spectacles of suffering to 
exist, when the simple exertion of his will would be 
sufficient to restore peace and happiness to every 
man and beast I 

For no greater reason Materialists would reject 
the theory of divine design and turn with earnest 
recognition to the theory that teaches all forms of 
organized matter are the result of a series of evolu- 
tionary laws which embody blind force, the origin 



52 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

of which is yet not fully understood, each of which 
are in turn controlled or influenced by necessities 
which are unconscious of their own existence. 

That these many species of lower animated organ- 
ism were constructed for the specific purpose of liv- 
ing upon the bodies of the higher order of animals, 
thereby continually tormenting them, and then to 
concede this to be the result of premeditated design 
on the part of the creator, is charging up to his ac- 
count one of the most stupendous acts of cruelty ever 
perpetrated. Or will we have to reconstruct our de- 
ductions to the effect that the higher order of ani- 
mals, as we understand them, were created for the 
benefit of these degraded creatures, incapable of the 
first principles of thought ? Or shall we conclude 
God is not all wise! Or perhaps his deficiency lies 
in his inability to be all powerful. In any case he 
certainly does not manifest all the acquirements as- 
signed to him by traditional authority. 

When we travel over the vast areas of the unix>pu- 
lated districts which are uninhabitable from differ- 
ent causes, we are impressed with spectacles that 
everywhere present indications that a vast amount 
of energy has been wasted. Great areas are incum- 
bered with stupendous and shapeless mountains 
forming appalling canyons overhung with rocky 
ledges, holding forth dangerous abysses to receive 
either animal or man in their deadly grasp should 
any chance to pass their crests. These represent to 
all appearances wasted efforts on the part of the 
creator if their creation was intelligently designed, 
for they are worthless, worthless in the greatest sig- 
nificance of the term, as they produce nothing of 
beneficial consequence to the earthly inhabitants. 

Then we are confronted with wide portions of the 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 53 

earth's surface occupied with swamps and marshes. 
These sections present only dejected aspects, they 
bring forth no fruit of whatever nature and show 
only another evidence that intelligence was not em- 
ployed with their creation. Then with many thou- 
sands of square miles of advantageously located and 
appropriately designed portions of the arid districts, 
fertile in the extreme and applicable under the hand 
of man's dominion to the needs of agriculture in all 
its phases, had the creator finished his work and per- 
mitted the heavens to furnish sufficient moisture. 
After supplying ever other element nature demands, 
these semi-deserts are hopelessly barren only for 
the want of water. 

Did the creator intend these sections to be utilized 
for any purpose 1 Or did he think they could be used 
without water! Or were they constructed without 
design! Is it possible tradition is right in asserting 
they are the result of infallible design! Shall we 
confess ignorance of the intent of the creator! and 
will such understanding satisfy the critical inquiry 
of intelligent thinkers of today! Whatever conjec- 
tures we may decide to make, there is only one solu- 
tion. We must confess there was no intelligence 
evinced, and these apparent mistakes of nature are 
in fact results of ^^ cause and effect'' of natural laws, 
governed by no intelligence whatever, brought about, 
out of necessity alone, couched in no intentions and 
subject to no apology, for they are accountable in 
no degree. Such a solution would be the only barrier 
of contempt. If this be the result of our calculation, 
as it appears it must be, then we are forced to believe 
the so-called God is really of little consequence, or, 
what is more likely, he does not exist at all. We are 
also compelled to suggest that theism is unable to ex- 



54 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAXr SOUL 

plain on what grounds she hases her theory of divine 
design. 

Without divine design the theory of a life beyond 
is refuted and the inevitable question then arises, 
why should man, with all his intelligence, be so sud- 
denly brought to an endf Indeed, why should so 
much accumulated intelligence perish? If we could 
but comprehend nature's intricate phases of dis- 
cipline and order, we would be rewarded with under- 
standing. 

To our meagre conception of nature's dealing and 
intent, she seems to be unjust, unfair and cruel in 
many ways, if not in all calenders of her processes. 
These spectacles of unfairness are brought to our 
perception on every hand. The most beautiful struc- 
tures man's brain and hand have been able to fashion 
have been laid waste with a single tremor of the 
earth's surface, while others entirely escape. Im- 
mense numbers of people have been annihilated by 
natural causes, their lives and property are devas- 
tated by storms, earthquakes, volcanoes and tidal 
waves, while many others under similar conditions 
are not so menaced. Two men are placed in battle 
line, one is immediately killed, while the other serves 
on indefinitely uninjured. These appear to present 
injustice. But we perceive nature in her infinite 
silence does not explain. This we know: the uplift 
of one species necessitates the downfall of some 
other; in other words, nature's process of construc- 
tion necessarily promotes decay. 

When we study creative principles of life from 
scientific angles, we are impressed with the fact that 
theism is directly the reverse to science. The former 
gradually recedes as the latter advances. The one 
building argument today and discarding them to- 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 55 

morrow, while scientific deductions withstand any 
scrutiny and all tests. 

There cannot be two ways by which creation was 
accomplished. There can be but one correct way of 
explaining the mystery. The one explanation is the 
miraculous creation. And as miracles do not exist, 
science cannot accept it. Miracles are supposed to 
be feats performed by a power beyond the ordinary 
agency of natural laws. Materialists reject this 
theory, because they have no reason for accepting it. 
They study nature with impartial vision. They see 
and recognize disorder, discord and gloom, as well 
as beauty, order and cheer. If one is the handiwork 
of an intelligent creator, worked out through his or- 
der and design, then the other must be charged to 
him. If he created a beautiful child, he also created 
many varieties of disease germs which must have 
been designed to cause the child pain, misery and 
despair. For all animated life is a process and must 
be taken as a whole if we are to understand how any 
one species came into existence. 

If all creation was the work following design, it 
must have begun somewhere and thus must neces- 
sarily end somewhere. The latter does not concern 
us so much in the present investigation. But the 
beginning of creation is extremely interesting and 
vitally important if we are to arrive at an under- 
standing that will satisfy the philosophical mind. 

When we find the work of a people, we look for 
the workmen who fashioned the work. After finding 
them, we inquire after their maker. The first an- 
swer to this inquiry was, God made them. After 
hearing of God, we feel a moral right as scientists 
and seekers of truth and knowledge to ask if he was 
the beginning of creation! Where did God derive 



56 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

his origin! How long did lie live before he created 
the earth f It would be interesting, indeed, to know 
how long he reigned before there was any material 
substance to reign over. 

Science has found natural causes for different ef- 
fects, and if it was necessary for nature to put 
forth some creative efforts to produce a snail, it was 
certainly necessary for her to put forth some effort 
to create a God. Or is it possible that so important 
a personage could have come into existence by no 
efforts from any source? We are told these are old 
and ridiculous questions, yet they call for sincere 
reason. And it was theology that made them ridicu- 
lous. 

It is now conceded by theologists that the genesis 
day was in reality thousands of years in length, 
though the bible emphatically stated the evening and 
the morning was the day. However it claims God 
made the heavens and the earth on the first day and 
also the light which was divided from the darkness. 
We feel impressed with inquisitiveness and would 
like to ask what this light was! for the sun was not 
created until the fourth day or period, and all the 
light we are familiar with is derived, directly or in- 
directly, from the sun. And we are to understand 
the earth is many millions of years older than the 
sun. Such calculations are reverse from scientific 
deductions, which teaches the sun is the center or 
mother of all the planets. 

Genesis informs us that on the third day the earth 
was made to produce all kinds of vegetation and 
fruit trees. This evidently took place thousands of 
years before there was any sun. Then the same au- 
thority says God rested from all his work on the 
seventh day, which he made holy. From this we are 



HAS MAN AN IMMOETAL SOUL 57 

to infer all things stood still for thousands of years 
or during this period of holy rest. 

Thus theology has given her version of creation. 
But theology presents only a medley of confusion 
and uncertainty and their teaching should be placed 
in the museum of recollections. 

When we turn to physics, chemistry and biology 
for an explanation of creation, we see the theistic 
views exploded. These sciences emphatically 
demonstrate, therefore truthfully reveal, that 
there are more than seventy different species 
of atoms, each holding different qualities, and 
that all forms of matter are formed from them. 
These minute particles of matter are collected by 
certain forces into larger bodies of matter, as, for 
instance, fine sand by the forces of heat and pres- 
sure are formed into larger stones. In the case of 
organic bodies, by the force of adhesion, the single 
cells are brought together to form a larger mass of 
living matter. Thus the process of reformation of 
matter is continually going on, and all forms of ma- 
terial bodies are directly traceable to the atoms of 
the elements of which it is composed. 

The course of evolution by which the stellar sys- 
tem is formed is so incomprehensibly slow that no 
imagination could depict an intelligent, thinking 
creator who could be satisfied with such procedure. 
And as these systems are now in the midst of their 
maturing processes, and we see no creative design 
manifested, we feel confident that none exists. 

The apparent precise order of these stellar sys- 
tems is by some considered reason for belief in a 
creative mind, but these systems are said to be con- 
trolled by natural laws; yet natural laws are not 
designed and it is not the law that controls the body. 



58 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

Let US not misunderstand the meaning and character 
of this form of natural law. The planetary bodies 
have certain movements; these movements are the 
result of necessity, they always act the same way, 
as far as we are able to discern, and we call those 
actions laws. In fact those movements are not set, 
they are continually changing, but this change, like 
all evolutionary efforts, are so slow that we are 
hardly able to detect the change. These bodies are 
simply floating in space the same as a wooden ball 
might float on water; they obey no set law. How 
would a star recognize or obey a law? They take 
the easiest course, or where the least resistance 
occurs. Natural law does not mean violent force, 
we might more correctly say it is lack of force, 
or it is persuasion through the lack of resistance. 
Thus we see the principle of ^' least resistance'', 
though it could not be called law, is the true 
controlling influence of planetory movements. 
And we see the reason our earth is revolving 
around the sun, in an apparent exact course, is 
because it was the easiest course, or where the least 
resistance occurs, and, as there is nothing to stop it, 
it continues. But why did it start on this particular 
course ? We are told by astronomers it is attraction 
of other and larger bodies that influence it. And so 
attraction appears to be a true natural law, but is 
explained as mutual tendency or affinity which is in 
reality electro-magnetism and is no property of a 
peculiar or mysterious nature. Therefore we see 
the movements of the celestial bodies are not con- 
trolled by design, as design was not necessary or 
possible. 

However, these movements have been so persistent 
and perpetual that they have brought about other 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAIi SOUL 59 

propensities which act upon minor objects, govern- 
ing them in a multitude of ways, and these govern- 
ing influences are the true natural laws, and these 
natural laws are the outcome of necessity. The 
whole organic creation is, as well as every move- 
ment of each atom, taking place by reason of neces- 
sity. Every movement of every planetary body is 
the result of cause and effect. When our hemisphere 
is turned away from the direct rays of the sun, 
caused by the earth 's movement, heat is reduced and 
cold ensues of necessity. By reason of cold, frigid 
zones are the result, and an immense amount of ice 
is formed. Then the effect is reversed when another 
movement of the earth brings these districts under 
the more direct rays of the sun again. These 
changes are the result of necessity. Volcanoes be- 
come active by reason of what is known as volcanic 
energy. This is brought about by the cooling of the 
crust of the earth, shrinking down upon the molten 
center, making it necessary for it to form vent holes. 
These would of course be formed where the least re- 
sistance occurred, or where the thinner or weaker 
sections of the crust lies. And in past ages, when 
the whole crust was thinner than it is now, great 
breaches were made in the crust in the shape of fis- 
sures many miles in length, and great upheavals of 
the crust then formed the mountains as we see them 
now. It is also plain these results or effects were 
brought about by causes, not designed, but necessary. 
The general movement, through evolutionary prin- 
ciples, toward improvement of every living thing 
upon the earth, is brought about by necessity. The 
most primitive man lived individually, as do many 
wild beasts now. It was evidently necessary for him 
to do so at the time he lived. But changes came that 



60 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

made it necessary for them to form into clusters or 
tribes. Under these conditions they made more 
progress, and under these circumstances it became 
necessary for the communities to have some form 
of government. Then civilization began, of which 
every phase has come into effect as necessity de- 
mands. 

As man migrated to the colder climate, it was 
necessary that he should adapt clothing and houses 
to protect him from the cold, and all the other neces- 
sities of life were adapted as needs appeared. Then 
to say that a designing creator unfolded nature to 
meet the requirements of man will meet with many 
obstacles, for it is clear that all evolutionary 
changes, which usually result in the betterment of 
species by adaptation, are brought about by neces- 
sity. 

It would even be possible to make a direct demon- 
stration of this fact by placing a number of common 
cattle on an island on which grew trees bearing- 
leaves of a nutritious character, and which was the 
only food. It is evident that the longer-necked ani- 
mals would live longer than the short-necked ones, 
by reason of being able to reach higher to gather the 
food. Then, as '^ike begets like,'' the long-necked 
animals would bear young with long necks, the long- 
est of which, in turn, would be able to live longest, 
and so on through many generations, at the end of 
which, if we were to visit the island, we would doubt- 
less be surprised to find the original cattle had dis- 
appeared and what would appear to be anotker 
species of animals, with giraffe-like necks and front 
legs, had invaded the island. This principle is 
known as ** survival of the fittest". It is one phase 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 61 

of the evolutionary process. It is in every case the 
result of necessity, which reverses the theory of de- 
sign. 

Biologists are sometimes asked the question: If 
there is no designer, how comes there to be so many 
different species of animal life, all of which are per- 
fect specimens'? The answer is: All animals have 
been brought to their present state of perfection by 
the slow and deliberate process of evolution. And 
it is plain, as each step in advancement puts in its 
appearance, it becomes more or less fixed. This is 
a plain proposition, for it is easy to see that an ani- 
mal with feet could survive where others without 
feet would perish. Therefore the former would 
breed offsprings with feet and for a much longer 
time than those without units of locomotion, with 
the result, at this time all animals have feet. 

Others have said, the fact that animals are fur- 
nished with eyes before they are bom,and before they 
have seen the light, is evidence that they were de- 
signed by an intelligent creator. Let us see if this 
is the case. It is certain that those animals that 
first possessed some mode of sight could survive 
those that had no organs of vision. Because the ani- 
mal with eyes could find food and refuge, which en- 
abled them to live on for a much longer time and pro- 
duce offspring in much greater numbers, which 
would, of course, have eyes, as like begets like. And 
it would follow that those that had the best eyes and 
feet would outlive those possessed of poorer ones. 

Thus through this inevitable process of evolution 
the organs of all animals and man were brought to 
their present state of perfection. Yet we see no in- 
dication of, and no reason for, the designing hand 
of God. 



CHAPTER IV. 

The question of prayer has always held the as- 
siduous application ofi those who ibelieve in the 
existence of a man God. They feel that their whole 
happiness and welfare depends upon these exercises, 
however there is no binding proof that God ever 
directly answered a single prayer. Yet it has been 
demonstrated innumerable times that prayers are 
not answered. 

Some desires and achievements, asked for in 
prayer, have been attained. But how do we know 
they would not have been attained if no prayer had 
been issued? The same good achievements are 
gained by those who never pray as are accomplished 
by the praying element of the most devout. Ex- 
plained thus: When people pray they ask for that 
which the heart most desires, consequently every 
other effort is put forth to attain that particular de- 
sire, therefore, if it is possible, it is very apt to be 
gained, and the prayer is said to have been answered. 
But the same efforts brought to bear in this direc- 
tion would doubtless have accomplished the same 
result. 

Theologians tell us, he whose prayers are not ac- 
companied with material efforts on the part of the 
individual will achieve nothing. This statement is 
evidently true, and he might have advanced truth 
further in saying: he who pauses in his material 
efforts to pray is losing time. 

Scores of pathetic prayers have been asked daily 
that are never answered. Any of us can call to mind 
devout religious characters who have continually 

(62) 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 63 

worsliipped God, daily praying to him to bless tliein, 
and who have suffered unutterable pain and distress, 
and have finally been awarded most horrible death. 
Again we see mothers nursing their dying child and 
offering a continual prayer that the child be spared 
to them, but with no result. The child is lost and 
the mother is bent in mourning for the remainder of 
her life. Whereas she had a moral right to expect 
God to answer her whole-soul prayer. Who would 
not loose faith? 

If God is deliberately rejecting such prayers, he 
is not the good God we are expected to adore and 
worship. And prayer avails nothing more than the 
personal satisfaction the participator derives from 
such indulgence. There seems to be abundant evid- 
ence to prove that God is limiting his kindness to 
the human race, permitting undue suffering to en- 
croach upon all mankind. Therefore we are further 
forced to the belief the man God theory is of no 
benefit to us. If so, why should we not dispel it en- 
tirely and return to the only equitable theory which 
teaches all things are governed or controlled by 
natural laws which are the result of senseless forces! 
And the nearer we keep our movements in accord- 
ance with them the better results we may expect to 
enjoy 

If we are desirous of a demonstration as to the 
eff'ect of prayer we may direct our attention to the 
enactment of such demonstrations which we can see 
continually going on about us. One person may 
grovel in the dust of his closet, rendering the most 
devout prayers it is possible for the mind of man 
to construct, while another may seek the highest pin- 
nacle from which he may blaspheme God with all 
zeal. Whereupon it will be found, under close ob- 



64 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

servation, that neither of them will have been able 
to change the course of any formative principles in 
the slightest portion of a degree. Materialists hold 
the very strong opinion that in either case only a 
waste of energy is possible. 

Every form of material motion is operating under 
the direct and absolute influence of natural laws. If 
any certain effect is desired, these activities must be 
concentrated or brought into operation in a way that 
will cause the desired effect, which can only be done 
by material action. While natural laws cannot be 
changed, they can be somewhat modified, that is to 
say, their course can be in some instances diverted. 
For example, we see the mighty locomotive, designed 
by the mind of man and built by his hand ; we watch 
it as it dashes with firey fierceness along its iron 
trail. Through all of its intricate detail of construc- 
tion, every portion is operating exactly within ac- 
cordance of natural laws. The tattered fragments 
of a wrecked bridge may be waiting silently beyond. 
Yet the monstrous overland ship is plunging blindly 
on, carrying its human cargo to awful agony or in- 
stant death. No prayer from a mother's heart or 
other human emotions of whatever character can 
stem the monster machine from carrying out its mis- 
sion of destruction. Only by the material hand of 
the operator on the throttle can an overwhelming 
disaster be averted. Thus we find the action of 
natural law upon material activities can be varied 
only by the interference of other material actions. 
This is a necessary situation, for if material activi- 
ties could be changed in the least by prayer, natural 
law would shortly lose control over all the universe 
and disorder would thereafter reign. 

Those who are satisfied in the belief that the Bible 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 65 

answers all questions correctly are of course letting 
the matter rest. They manifest no desire or courage 
to look further into the subject with a view of broad- 
ening their knowledge. Such people are usually of 
the opinion that no one else has a moral right to in- 
quire into religious matters from a scientific point 
of view. They imagine such inquiry to be extremely 
smful. 

While it is possible for us to train ourselves to 
think we believe the fiction of ancient mythology is 
holding all knowledge of religious nature, it is also 
possible to cultivate a desire to acquire all available 
wisdom leading up to a true and perfect knowledge 
of the circumstances and conditions concerning all 
things. If we are to be broad, we cannot be narrow. 
We must inquire into each side of every question and 
weigh every grain of evidence with honesty and 
reason. 

Then we will observe the church is not practicing 
this mode of investigation. It prohibits its col- 
leagues from probing the authority of their doctrine 
from rational angles. Thus the church is doing 
more harm than good from an educational stand- 
point. In this way it is at this time doing everything 
in its power to retard intellectual development. It 
is dwarfing the minds of its followers by educating 
them from infancy to grovel in fear and trembling 
in a belief the truthfulness of which they have not 
the slightest proof. 

It is true some churches will tolerate scientific in- 
vestigation of certain subjects as long as they are 
able to construe the resulting hypothesis to co- 
ordinate the holdings and contentions of their doc- 
trines. But the moment instigations of researches 
are begun that will in any way tend to overthrow 



66 HAS MAX AX IMMOETAL SOUL 

the teaching of the church, all friendly relations be- 
tween religion and science is severed, and the clergy 
are very exhaustive in the expression of their cha- 
grin. 

They are holding before the people the Bible as 
the wholly and divine truth, of whose pages should 
never be scanned with questioning attitude. They 
would have us believe the Bible was given to us in 
its present form, self pronouncing, red lettered and 
morrocco bound, while the truth is, it was not com- 
piled and arranged in its present form until the year 
sixteen eleven, or about three hundred years ago. 
Then it has undergone several minor revisions since 
the King James version of the above date. Up until 
that time all biblical records were in a fragmental 
form, iDresenting disconnected narratives, and a 
considerable portion was without proper meaning. 
These fragments were derived from several differ- 
ent sources, thus they were conflicting in a great 
measure. Then much of its original substance was 
traditional until a late date, while that portion that 
l3ears evidence of being written memorials was only 
copies of former manuscripts that were in turn 
copies of still older ones. The oldest of these manu- 
sci-ipts now in existence bears date of nine hundred 
sixteen A. D., and as their method of preserving 
documents was certainly far less effectual prior to 
that time, this manuscript would doubtless have to 
be placed far down the line of re-editions. 

At the time the King James version was edited, it 
became plain these ancient narratives would neces- 
sarily have to present a connection that would 
show a continuous fonn, and as sufficient material 
was not available, it became evident the commission 
in charge would then be forced to assume a goodly 
quantity to attain this end. It is plain these assump- 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 67 

tions would be largely visionary, and influenced in 
no small degree by the conscience of the commission 
in charge, therefore of no value historically. 

Let us give a little attention to the authority of 
the history of the Bible. The judicial faculty has to 
determine several questions as follows : How far are 
the sources to be relied on? Are they to be relied 
on at all! This depends on the ability and willing- 
ness of the writer to tell the truth. Was he in a posi- 
tion to know all the facts? How far can his judg- 
ment and penetration be relied on! He may have 
l)een endowed with party affiliations in a way that 
it would be impossible for him to record a perfectly 
unbiased and impartial opinion. In fact the chron- 
icles of Eusebius (one of the foremost fathers of 
church history) writing about 324 A. D., are note- 
worthily impaired in value by the author's avowed 
resolution to record only that which would reflect 
honor on the church. Thus we see a writer may be 
perfectly able to tell the truth and he may be in pos- 
session of the facts, but he may not desire to record 
them as he sees them. He may have motives of his 
own or of his party for withholding a part of the 
truth, or even substituting untruths. 

The writers of what is now the Bible records did 
not know they were writing that which was to be 
a Bible; had they known this they doubtless would 
have been more careful as to their text. However, 
at the time these writings were made they were in- 
tended to have more of a political influence than re- 
ligious, thus they would naturally take on a spurious 
infection. 

The original copies of these records were doubt- 
less written on papyrus rolls, but these were so soon 
worn out by frequent use that we do not now possess 



68 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

any liistorical notice of tlieir existence. All of these 
v\^orks were printed by hand in ^^unical^' or large 
capital letters without division of words or' punctua- 
tion. They were necessarily often copied, and an 
important feature is noticed here in the variation 
that in time crept into the text. Many of these 
variations were mere slip of eye, ear or understand- 
ing of the copyist. But nevertheless they are dan- 
gerously misleading if it is facts the inquirer is de- 
manding. 

During the earlier centuries copies of these works 
must have been very rare, having by necessity been 
printed by the slow and laborious method then in 
vogue. Printing by hand was the only process of 
maldng records until the invention of the running 
hand which was in the ninth century. Then the in- 
vention of the printing press which event dates back 
about the middle of the fiftenth century, but did not 
come into general use until much later. Under these 
conditions it will be seen any historical events re- 
corded at that time and by those methods must be 
held in a suspicious light. In using these ancient 
manuscripts and documents it was necessary for the 
more modern historian to be able to judge exactly 
as to how far the statements therein recorded could 
be relied on if they were to arrive at the facts. This, 
it is clear, would be utterly impossible. Then these 
historians were forced to omit those parts that 
seemed inconsistent and were likewise forced to in- 
sert paragraphs where it seemed necessary to make 
it conform with meaning and reason, to some extent. 

The writers of the gospels were, according to their 
own statements, disciples in the faith of which they 
were recording the essential occurrences, and it 
would be no more than natural for them to record 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 69 

nothing that would be detrimental to their doctrine 
and belief. While on the other hand it is certain 
they would exert every effort to make memorandum 
of any occurrence that would further their cause, as 
they thought. There can be but little question but 
these writers were influenced by their surroundings 
in a way that would make it impossible for them to 
record an account that would hold the entire truth 
only. 

The man who holds the conception of the Bible 
as being a complete, perfect and flawless revelation 
of divine truth from beginning, will, on close reflec- 
tion, discover that an infallible Bible is an impos- 
sible conception, for the reason the original writers 
would have to be infallibly informed as to the truth. 
They would have to be able to express it in infallible 
language. Their manuscript would have to be infal- 
libly preserved, translated and copied. All their 
statements would have to carry infallible evidences. 
The writers would have to be infallible themselves, 
and we would have to be infallible, and possess in- 
fallible understanding. Nothing less than this com- 
bination woud give us such conception. 

That this whole conjecture of infallible divine 
truth is only pretence is seen when we note, after 
the reformation, as the battle between the Roman 
Catholic and protestant churches went on, the prot- 
estant theologians, for polemical reasons, laid more 
and more stress on the theory of the divinity of the 
scriptures and the authority of their church. Then 
the idea of infallible inspiration crept into their doc- 
trine and finally came the claim that these scriptures 
were absolute and infallible authority on all sub- 
jects. 

Again, we notice the entire code of biblical state- 



70 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

ments have been forced to run the gauntlet of a cen- 
sor down through all the scores of generations, which 
doubtless remoulded and reconstructed their teach- 
ings to fit the different times and conditions. Science 
has rent the Bible doctrines to such an extent that 
it has received unmerciful mitigation of authority. 
And the whole interpretation has been reformed in 
an attempt to co-ordinate its teachings with those 
of modern science. For example, according to the 
Bible the world was created in only six days of man- 
ual labor on the part of the creator. This is a Bible 
statement and concrete in character. But after 
science proved the world was millions of years in 
creative formation, then the meaning of the Bible 
on this point was reinterpreted to mean six periods 
of time of no particular duration each. Even the 
theory of evolution is conceded, by some theists, as 
being God's plan, though the Bible specifically stated 
God created all things in their present perfect state. 
Many of the fabulous assertions related there- 
in could only excite the disgust of any one capable 
of concentrating their mind on the subject long 
enough to form an opinion. So it became necessary 
to warp and twist the meaning of these narratives 
in an effort to form something of value out of their 
meaningless recitals. 

Each theologian studies these peculiar Biblical 
stories and finally fancies he has discovered the au- 
thor's meaning, then proclaims to the world that he 
has been divinely ordained to interpret the message. 
His interpretation may be diametrically reverse to 
those of some other theologian. Yet they are both 
certain they are right and the other is mistaken, 
therefore they are both satisfied in tehir delusion. 
Each is handing to us their conflicting doctrines, and 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 71 

we are advised and expected by each to receive and 
accept them as divine truth. 

The claim made that the Bible is well authenti- 
cated by reason of its having stood the test for a 
considerable length of time is no proof within itself 
that it is the inspired word of God unadulterated. 
For there are other books that have stood the test 
for nearly as great a length of time, among which is 
the Koran (the Mohammedan Bible). This book has 
the reputation of being the most widely read book 
ever written, and is at this time devoutly worshipped 
by a hundred million people. Notwithstanding 
these facts, the devotees of the Christian religions 
are ardent in their criticisms of the Koran, with 
prejudicial commentations. Then it is plain they do 
not consider the Koran is any more divine by reason 
of having stood the test of a long period of time. 
Thus we are to conclude that because an untruth 
has been nursed for several hundred or thousand 
years does not make it any more tolerable when it is 
proven to be false. 

Wlien a scientist has discovered he has made a 
mistake, he looses no time in discarding all append- 
ing calculations, for there could be no object or bene- 
fit in retaining them. For it is truth he is seeking, 
and a mistake or untruth has no place in his store 
of knowledge. He has no pet theories to defend 
with falsehoods and no apologies to make for his 
findings. 

The Biblical prophecies and their assumed fulfill- 
ments are considered by many as being positive 
proof of the truthfulness of these writings. Some 
religious organizations go so far as to claim all of 
these prophecies are fulfilled, which is an indication 
that we are living in the last days. This theme they 



72 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

derive from statements to that effect set forth in 
the scriptures, "The end is at hand''. From this 
they infer the world will eome to a sudden and 
abrupt end. However, this is an impossibility, for 
it is scientifically shown all celestial bodies are wend- 
ing their way through the process necessity has pro- 
vided for their origin, life and decay. Starting on 
their orbits in a similar condition we find our sun 
today a molten mass of gaseous material. Then on 
to a more mature stage as we see our brother planet 
Saturn, its surface probably crusted over yet tre- 
mendously hot. Then in the present condition of the 
earth designed as the life period. Thence on through 
a continual cooling process and finally the celestial 
death or cold eternal state. As we see our moon 
today, lifeless and non-rotating (evident from the 
fact that it shows only one face to us at all times). 
This complete process takes millions of years of 
time to complete, varying only according to the size 
of the planetary body. Knowing these are the true 
conditions and in accordance with natural processes 
that never change, there is absolutely no scientific 
reason for believing this course will be deviated from 
in regard to the earth. 

When we examine the subject of prophesy we find 
all prophecies were put in a very flexible and appli- 
cable form, so that many occurrences could be con- 
strued to mean a fulfillment of a given prophecy. 
Again, any prophecy of long standing will witness 
occurrences that would seem to be a fulfillment. 
Another probability is that some of the prophecies 
were made after their fulfillment put in its appear- 
ance. Owing to the unstable condition of ancient 
traditional history, there seems to be no room to 
doubt the probability of this conjecture. 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 73 

Whatever amount of weight has heen placed upon 
the fulfiilhneiit of prophecy the fact remains most of 
the ancient prophecises are not prophecies at all. 
War and rumors of war could mean nothing, for the 
reason there has not been an hour of time during 
the process of civilization that there has not been 
wars or rumors of wars. Likewise, nations rising 
against nations and the famines and pestilences and 
earthquakes, as well as the false prophets, etc., are 
of continual occurrence ever since the dawn of his- 
tory. 

The prophecy ^ ' The end of the world is at hand ' ' 
has been heralded to all people through all ages and 
has only had the specific effect of retarding civil iza- 
tion to a considerable degree by placing a good num- 
ber of people in a state of mind in which they were 
unwilling to look forward to improvement, as the 
future held nothing to their minds but complete an- 
nihilation of all things. Thus it is clear that the man 
who made the prophecy that the world would be 
suddenly devastated by the hand of God has done 
untold damage to the process of civilization. All 
forms of prophecy are only another form of super- 
stition, and it cannot be shown where they have been 
of any benefit to mankind in any way. 

When we throw a modern searchlight of scientific 
investigation upon the writings of the Bible, a rather 
peculiar phase comes to view in the probable age of 
the different sections. The book of Grenesis would 
testify to have its origin date to a very remote age. 
Its enigmas and tangles, its childish narratives and 
solutions would attest to having their origin in a 
very primitive mind. While some of the book of 
Exodus would seem to indicate its writers had lived 
in almost modem times, its code of modern laws 



74 HAS MAN AN IMMOKTAL SOUL 

would seem to sliow it was the latest of Biblical 
writings. They could have had no use for many of 
those laws at the remote time assigned to this book. 
Such laws as are codified therein would necessitate 
a corps of modern peace officials and criminal law- 
yers to gather with modern courts of justice, of 
which there is no mention anj^where at this early 
date. 

For the most part the Bible is the result of dis- 
torted imagination with no idea or intention of reach- 
ing a truthful objective. We see this most vividly 
brought out in the Book of Eevelations. Its wild and 
weird fantasies, which only constitutes a nightmare 
of symbolic hallucination which seems to indicate it 
is a relic of ancient superstition that is throwing its 
rays from a very remote period. Yet it is assigned 
the position as the latest written portion of the 
Bible. 

We are now absolutely positive the writer of the 
book of Genesis knew nothing of the formation of 
the earth, though he claimed to give an accurate 
account. He placed the chronological date of crea- 
tion at four thousand years B. C, while scientific in- 
vestigations have shown the necessity of its taking 
hundreds of millions of years of evolutionary forces 
to bring organized matter to its present form. He 
also made the same mistake when he stated man was 
created an adult in a few minutes, and his fall from 
grace. For as has been shown, man evolved from a 
being in no way above the wild beasts of the forest. 
His theory that God made all things oif hand in a 
few minutes is successfully proven to be untrue, 
therefore it is certain the writers of the scriptures 
were mistaken in many if not all of their deductions 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 75 

of problems they knew nothing about, though they 
seldom failed to make an attempt at an explanation. 

The Bible is composed of concrete statements, 
purported to be the word of God. They are made in 
a way designed to lead the reader to believe the 
writer had a complete understanding and control of 
the subject. He also appeared to think the mere 
fact he was able to formulate such deductions was 
positive proof his solutions were correct, and the 
absolute limit of all knowledge on the subject. From 
this delusion comes the theory of divine inspiration. 
Such fallacy has been proven to have no foundation, 
by scientific evidences, in every instance where it is 
possible to bring such evidence to bear. Hence, if 
these ancient writers were given to making delusive 
statements under guise of divine revelation, it will 
be extremely difficult to determine where fiction 
leaves off and truth begins. 

The clergy of today are holding, with absolute de- 
pendence, the discoveries in researches being carried 
out by certain members of their colleagues in which 
they endeavor to decipher the hieroglyphics of the 
ancient Greek scribes, contending these inscriptions 
found on ancient stone structure and obelisks that 
refer to religious doctrines testify to the truthful- 
ness of the Bible. 

Such ancient iscriptions are so meagre and un-. 
trustworthy they cannot be accepted with any degree 
of confidence. They represent many forms of lan- 
guages or dialects, during many periods. Many ab- 
breviations were used, causing difficulty in the inter- 
pretation, and again the hieroglyphics are often 
simplified in different ways and the original type 
ceases to be immediately recognized, thus skill in de^ 
ciphering is limited. 



76 HAS MAN AN IMMOKTAL SOUL 

These inscriptions are sometimes written in ver- 
tical columns and sometimes in horizontal lines, 
either of which may be read from one end or the 
other. To determine which way the engraver in- 
tended it to be read is another difficulty. One char- 
acter may signify one sound or syllable or a whole 
word, or it may represent a whole sentence express- 
ing an idea. The ideograph or picture writings are 
comparatively simple to translate so far as each 
symbol is concerned. Thus a picture of the sun 
might mean light, heat or division of time. But it 
is questionable as to just what the scribe intended 
to impart. 

At any rate only slight profit is rendered by the 
interpretation of these ancient writings. This situa- 
tion results from two causes. Firstly the interpre- 
tator would endeavor to make the hieroglyphics re- 
late statements to support his theories. Secondly, 
if it were possible to read them and thus derive the 
intrinsic meaning of the author, we would have no 
knowledge that he was relating the truth. 



CHAPTER V. 

To the average Christian the Materialists' han- 
dling of the subject of the all-important character, 
Christ, will be of great interest, for in their judgment 
tnis is the one religious fact that now stands un- 
changed. They contend the proofs of his existence 
are so eminent that no authority is competent to re- 
fute them. 

In the discussion of this subject let it be under- 
stood, we have to depend upon the writings of the 
gospels for all 8uch proofs, for there is hardly a 
vestige of other history treating upon the life of 
Christ. Even these do not record a single movement 
of him from the time he was a child of twelve years 
of age until he was a man of thirty. A period of 
eighteen years. This is, to say the least, a very pe- 
culiar coincidence in the face of the fact he was 
known to be the messiah from birth. Why he should 
have been so completely lost to the world for this 
important period of his lifetime has not been satis- 
factorily explained. That he was kept in hiding to 
preserve his life from the ravages of jealous kings 
is unreasonable and without foundation. For if 
Christ had been sent by God to fulfill and carry out 
his plans there could have been no reason to permit 
or fear the destruction of Christ before his mission 
had been accomplished. 

However, at this point in his life we find him a 
public teacher. He was teaching a new religion, the 
principal character of which was himself. He was 
posing as the messiah, whose coming had long been 
predicted and was much looked for about that time, 

(77) 



78 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

Under those conditions it will be understood the 
minds of the people were in a susceptible attitude to 
receive and accept this so-called and mysterious mes- 
siah, when they were reasonably convinced he had 
arrived. Yet in the light of these most conducive ad- 
vantages and favorable circumstances, Christ was, 
according to the scriptural authority, unable to gain 
the confidence and admiration of the more intelligent 
people. His followers were, it is conceded, the most 
humble of their time. Though it is stated he ap- 
pealed to all alike to accept him as the son of God 
and the direct intermediator between God and man. 

His characteristics were identical with those of the 
traveling evangelists of the present time, who con- 
demns in an unmerciful way, all who do not choose 
to accept every statement they make, and are desir- 
ous of sending them straightway to Hell. Many of 
Christ's statements were contrary to all reason, 
though he taught them as profound truths. All of 
his teachings are, by his followers, supposed to be 
the infallible utterances of the divine mind, though 
many of them have long since been scientifically 
proven to hold no truth. 

It appeared that Christ was different from the 
modern evangelist only in the respect that he was his 
own authority. He produced nothing whatever to 
prove that he was the personage he claimed to be. 
He framed up any sort of theory to suit his fancy, 
then taught it as divine truth. In this last respect 
the modern evangelist is not unlike Christ, though 
lie is enabled to use the elastic scriptures as proof 
of his fraudulent claims. 

Such calculations have little effect upon the judi- 
cial reason of profound thinkers. Though these 
evangelists are always successful in gaining a follow- 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 79 

ing of at least a faithful few, no matter how absurd 
their doctrine. 

The extreme difficulty Christ experienced in con- 
vincing the more intelligent classes that his claims 
were legitimate, it would appear, led him to become 
much wroth and very severe with his condemnation 
of the authorities and officials of the country. 
Whereupon he was placed under arrest, given what 
would appear to be a fair trial in several courts ; he 
was doubtless given every opportunity to prove his 
identity, which he failed to do, and was finally con- 
victed of blasphemy and treason, for which he was 
condemned to be crucified. This was the penalty for 
such crimes at that time and place. At an appointed 
hour, according to tradition, he was led to a place 
just outside the walls of Jerusalem and executed ac- 
cording to law. 

During the last moments of his life, while on the 
cross, were developed what is considered by many 
scholars as the most determining incidents of his 
whole life. It will be remembered the bystanders 
jeered and reviled him. They begged of him to de- 
scend from the cross; they desired this demonstra- 
tion that they might be convinced of his divinity. 
This certainly would have been the opportune time to 
have shown his supremacy, had he possessed any. 
This was not an unreasonable request from the peo- 
ple, for it is evident that it would have been no diffi- 
cult feat, had he been the powerful messiah he 
claimed to be. 

There can be but little doubt that he would have 
complied with their request for a demonstration had 
it been possible for him to do so. To the Material- 
istic mind it is not strange that he did not make the 
demonstration, for it would have been contrary to 



80 HAS MAX AX IMMORTAL SOUL 

the laws of nature, wliicli fact is always taken into 
consideration in tlie determining of any mysteries. 
Thus it is concluded that Christ had no more su- 
preme power than any other man of his nation ; that 
he was, in fact, in no way different from his fellow- 
men; that his supreme authority was only imaginary 
in his own mind and in the minds of his followers. 

However, tradition tells us, at the ninth hour he 
cried out in a loud voice : ' ' My God ! Why hast thou 
forsaken me ? ' ' And then yielded up the ghost. Why 
should these last words have been uttered? Did 
Christ lose faith in his father and in his own doc- 
trine at the last moment? Vain attempts have been 
made to explain these occurrences as being in ac- 
cordance with the will of God, or that such was to be ; 
that prophecy should be fulfilled. But these are so 
feeble as to only put the whole matter in a more ri- 
diculous light. 

According to the best authorities, including theo- 
logians, the gospels were not put into written form 
until the latter part of the first century, while some 
scholars put the transaction at a much later date. 
However, it is plain the story of Christ was handed 
down for more than a hundred years, in a traditional 
form, to those who understand the meaning of this 
it would seem quite probable, whatever fact existed 
that led up to the narrative, were exaggerated to a 
significant degree. This condition is so highly prob- 
able, many of the most scholarly critics have com- 
pletely rejected the whole narrative, refusing to be- 
lieve Christ ever lived, except as a mythological ideal. 

It is, of course, supposed Christ was sent to re- 
deem the world from sin. Now the question is : '\Miat 
is sin? With scrutiny we are able to classify only 
two classes of sin, which are as follows : Transgres- 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 81 

sion of natural laws, constituting the primary or 
original class of sin. While the other class is signi- 
fied as the violation of human, or man-made laws. 
Then that which is considered sin, in the eyes of hu- 
man laws is not always so considered by natural 
laws. 

All natural laws and some human laws are classed 
by theologians as divine laws. Thus we see their 
confusion of the two, but with a little patience and a 
desire to do so, we will find no difficulty in drawing 
the line very accurately between the two classes of 
laws. 

Natural laws are the governing influences laid 
down by natural forces, and recognized by the fact 
that they never change their course unless inter- 
rupted by some natural cause. In every case they 
were the result of necessity, as has been shown, and 
divine agencies were not necessary for their coming 
into effect. While human laws were designed in 
the mind of man they are in most cases brought 
about by necessity, yet they are constantly changing 
by alterations going on in their formulas. 

Thus it will be seen acts that would be considered 
sinful by human laws at one time and place, are con- 
sidered perfectly justifiable at another time or place. 
Nature does not consider any act sinful that is not 
contrary to the natural laws, though they may be 
contrary to human laws. For example : She intended 
men to kill and devour each other. It was necessity 
that formed this practice, and we find man in his 
antiquity performing these atrocities. There we 
recognize the natural law of ''survival of the fittest." 
This like all other natural laws will continue througli- 
out all time. Though civilization has overcome it to 
some extent. In this way we are transgressing the 



82 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

laws of nature, and we are paying the penalty for 
the sin by inheritance of all manner of disease. Had 
nature been permitted to take its course in this re- 
spect we would have, long since, been immune from 
all such disease, because they would have been 
stamped out by the diseased individuals not being 
permitted to live to carry the contagion on to others, 
and only the fittest physically and mentally being 
permitted to survive. Thus the race of mankind 
would have been far in advance in every respect 
under those circumstances than it now is. 

Then we credit ourselves in having defied nature, 
changed her course and subduing her order. But 
when the earth becomes so thickly populated that 
room is at a premium, then it will be that the law of 
** survival of the fittest" will assert its rights and 
again its influence will be predominating. 

The sin of transgression of human laws is well un- 
derstood. The fact that they are continually 
changed to fit the emergencies as they appear is 
evidence they are not the result of divine design. 
If an all-wise God had designed them there could 
have been no reason for this evolutionary transfor- 
mation, so evident in all of them. 

There could have been no object in Christ 
coming on earth to save sinners. He could have 
done but little good. The whole scheme would 
have been wrong and against nature, for he 
could not change or improve natural laws. The 
human laws did not need his assistance, for the 
law of evolution of the intellect was bringing 
about a higher state of civilization at that time, as 
it is doing now. And it does not need the assistance 
of any evangelist whose business it is to preach a 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL. 83 

fake religion with a Hell fire as a termination for all 
who refnse, or are unable to believe. Such doctrines 
only retard civilization by dwarfing the intellect. 

Modern theorists do not believe Christ could have 
a mission of redeeming souls, for if man has no soul 
it cannot be redeemed, which would close the contro- 
versy. 

It seems to be the general belief that we could not 
survive without Christ and the church. While it will 
be conceded morality should be taught publicly, there 
is no question but it could be done far more effectu- 
ally through the channels of science than through the 
doctrines of a superstitious religion. The belief in 
superstition has never aided civilization morally or 
otherwise. =»«=**** 

If it is our lot to teach a child it is wrong to steal, 
we should begin by placing before him object lessons 
that he may see the real results of being honest. 
Show him the large estates and large business cen- 
ters of the industrious and honest business men, 
their beautiful homes, where they are enabled to live 
in comfort and luxury. Then describe to him the 
horrors of the jails and penitentiaries. Try to in- 
fuse into his character a desire for the acquaintance 
and association of the better class of people, which 
means honest people, for a thoroughly honest man 
is a thoroughly good man. If there is any particular 
in which he is not good, it is because he is not hon- 
est in that distinction. 

The child should be shown the advantages of edu- 
cation, show him the results of wasted opportunities, 
which usually lead to indolence and lawlessness. 
Teach him to be industrious and law abiding; this is 
an easy matter if his attention is called to the ob- 
ject lessons everywhere abounding. Show him that 



84 HAS MAN AN IMMOBTAL SOUL 

idleness leads to ignorance, ignorance leads to deg- 
radation and sin— the stepping stones to the peni- 
tentiary or gallows. Teach him to shun and abhor 
the unscrupulous and the outlaw. 

Why should you teach him to believe in a Heaven 
and Hell, where he will receive his reward or punish- 
ment, when you know nothing about it yourself and 
you cannot show them to him to prove your state- 
ment! Such have no more desired effect than the 
object lessons in everyday life, and certainly cannot 
make the impression on the child mind. 

There is little doubt that the fear of Hell fire had 
the desired eifect upon primitive man in forcing 
upon him his moral duties. But the same has little 
real terror for the present generation. It is almost 
impossible to find any one who has the slightest fear 
of going to Hell. Most people believe their enemies 
are going there, but haven 't the slightest anxiety for 
their own welfare. This might be explained by their 
faith in some particular type of religion which prom- 
ises their redemption with little effort. And we find 
it is difficult, probably for the same reason, to keep 
people out of Heaven. Though the Bible explicitly 
states, ''Narrow is the way and few there be that 
find it.'' In the face of this discouraging outlook it 
is hard to find a person who is not perfectly satisfied 
with their chance of attaining the heavenly reward, 
regardless of whatever form of religious belief they 
are following. This is the result of each denomina- 
tion deludingly claiming to be the true religion. And 
we see it is impossible to force morality upon the 
younger generations by holding before them the tra- 
ditional myth of Hell and Heaven. If one form of 
religion will not redeem them in their mode of living 
another will. And they will experience no difficulty 



HAS MAN AN IMMOKTAL SOTJL 85 

in finding a religion that will exactly fit their re- 
quirements. It may not be your religion, or mine, 
but it is theirs because it just fits their idea of the 
perfect mode of life. They are, therefore, perfectly 
satisfied in their delusion, as we are, if we adhere 
to any of the denominations that teach us to believe 
the traditional myths. 

When we take from the religious teachers these 
arms of defense, thereby depriving them of their 
mode of teaching morality, they will ask: ^'What 
are we to substitute it with'? Is it possible there is 
another method that will answer the purpose as 
well!'' 

There is one influence that will serve the purpose 
to a far greater advantage than any combination of 
all others. This influence is public opinion. When 
public opinion regards an immoral act disrespectful 
or disgraceful, and places participants in such dis- 
respectful or disgraceful light, then a long stride has 
been made in the betterment of moral conditions. In 
fact, it is this influence that is now at work, and is 
the prime factor of morality underlying religious 
methods. Tho it might be argued, primarily it is 
divine inspiration. But this solution could not be 
correct, for public opinion is more often incorrect in 
its decision of right and wrong than it is correct, as 
will be shown later. 

The younger generation should be taught a clean 
and honored character is the highest possible form of 
nobility. Teach them honesty and truthfulness are 
the first requirements in the foundation of a great 
personality. Do not begin by forcing upon them 
fidelity in mythological beliefs that you will be un- 
able to substantiate to their satisfaction, and that 
they can disprove the truthfulness thereof, with a 



£"6 HAS MAX AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

little sane oaleiilatioii. Remember an mitrnth can 
do no good, no matter where it is placed, but will do 
mneh harm in the end. It is hard to dispose of, and 
the anthor would have been much farther advanced 
in a moral way, had it never been uttered. 

It may be pointed out that public opinion has no 
terrors for some who have become hardened in 
wrongdoing. Then the criminal laws must take the 
matter in hand and deal with them as the case de- 
mands. 

Public opinion is the most powerful medium in all 
human experience. It is this agent that has designed 
and formulated every phase of human law through 
all time. It has divided right from wrong for all na- 
tions and every tribe that has inhabited the earth. 
It does not follow that all decisions wrought by pub- 
lic opinion were unerring; far from it. This force 
is constantly changing; therefore, it loses its sta- 
bility, in a sense. For what seems to be a perfectly 
legitimate transaction at one time or place is often 
transformed and appears to possess no moral ex- 
cellence whatever at another time or place. It was 
not the character of the deed that changed, it was 
public sentiment that changed its views on the mat- 
ter, placing the act in a different light. The progress 
of public opinion can be directly assigned to evolu- 
tion of the intellect and results in all moral progress. 

It is the constant changing of public sentiment 
that is the direct cause of the changes constantly 
taking place in the formulas of man-made laws. For 
instance, at a time not far remote, it was perfectly 
right and justifiable, according to the prevailing 
laws, to convict old and odd women without fair trial, 
as being witches and burn them at the stake. Many 
thousands of such victims were treated in this atro- 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAI^ SOUL 87 

eioiis manner in Europe, mostly in France and Ger- 
many, during the sixteenth century, and at a time 
when the church possessed powerful influence, we see 
the church acting under the influence of public opin- 
ion in that respect, for the church sanctioned these 
barbarous customs. With further evolution of the 
intellect it became known witches did not exist; 
therefore, no one was accountable for the unexplain- 
able occurrences hitherto attributed to these mytho- 
logical beings. Thereafter the act of executing so- 
called witches was conceded to be wrong and sinful 
in the extreme. 

Again: Within the recollection of our oldest in- 
habitants now living all kinds of intoxicating liquors 
were sold from every corner grocery to any man, 
woman or child. At that time this slack method of 
handling liquors was perfectly legitimate and lawful. 
But as public sentiment became wiser, this mode of 
handling so demoralizing an element was seen to be 
wrong. It became evident some method would have 
to be found whereby they could restrict the sale of 
these liquors. Whereupon new human laws came 
into effect which resulted in high license and local 
option. This served the purpose satisfactorily for a 
time, according to the dictation of public opinion. 

It has recently been discovered by those of sci- 
entific intelligence that alcoholic liquors are of no 
benefit or service whatever to the human body, but 
are rather a menace in every sense. And at this time 
there are international prohibition movements world- 
wide. When popular opinion has reached a proper 
state in its course of evolutionary development there 
will be penalties sufficiently severe placed upon the 
act of manufacturing alcoholic liquors in any form; 
that they will be eradicated from the earth. 



SS HAS MAIN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

After the coming generations have no such temp- 
tations set before them and the human race has lost 
its taste and appetite for strong drinks there will 
then be no further demand for them. 

It was not Christ's teachings or other phases of 
religion that told the people intoxicants were harm- 
ful to the human race, for these influences have ex- 
isted for thousands of years and all during their free 
sale, under their influence the traffic flourished, as 
has many other forms of immorality and vice. People 
under no religious influence whatever, are taking 
affirmative action on the prohibition issue. As they 
are doing in all other such cases. Showing conclu- 
sively that it is intellectual development guided by 
the natural law of evolution, that is turning public 
opinion from the sanction of universal use of intoxi- 
cants to their moral condemnation. The fusion of 
ideas through the medium of the language has made 
the invention of new moral ideas just as possible as 
it does the invention of new and useful mechanical 
contrivances. 

Theologians claim we are all unconsciously under 
religious influences, that God is ever guiding our 
thoughts and actions. While we are free moral 
agents, according to their idea, they believe God has 
control over all things and is guiding us to a better 
plane. Such a statement is not authoritative; we are 
influenced by the laws of public opinion, all good of 
which, religion claims the authorship. ^Vhile that 
which appears to be wrong or sinful is attributed to 
Satan under that form of reasoning. 

We see some customs that appear to be the work 
of religion at one time, and at another time the same 
custom appears to be the work of Satan. For acts 
that will admit us to a perfect moral and religious 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOTTL 89 

standing today, will not admit ns tomorrow. Then 
we must rely upon this powerful agent, popular sen- 
timent, to guide our movements in the time in which 
we live. Wliile it regards our actions as moral at- 
tainments, we are in a moral attitude. But when it 
decides these actions are immoral or wrong, then it 
will be necessary for us to conform our habits to 
those changes as they appear. For example : With 
those living among religious polygamists it is within 
the bounds of moral rights, for men to procure wives 
in plural numbers, while in other sects such attain- 
ments are considered one of the most abominable 
practices man can be guilty of. 

Likewise, when one is among those religious sects 
who perform their manual labors during the so- 
called Sabbath, he may rest assured he will not be 
criticised if he indulges in like practice. Yet in other 
communities he could not expect to enjoy the respect 
of his fellowmen and continue this custom. 

So it is plain it is no divine law laid down at the 
beginning or at the time of creation, that is stamping 
our actions as right or wrong. The changing of pub- 
lic opinion for the better, is the result of the dominat- 
ing influence of evolution of the intellect. The 
church has never otfered a benevolent or useful idea 
that would not have come to pass without its influ- 
ence. For such improvements are invariably the 
outcome of necessity. If the creator had established 
such human laws as the church chooses to call divine 
laws, in the beginning, they would have been stable 
and never changing, for it would have been as easy 
for an all-wise and all-powerful creator to indicate 
right and wrong at the start, as to have a continual 
changing process leading up to the ideal moral state. 



CHAPTEE VI. 

The claim that all good and moral attainments 
are the direct result of religious influence, is refuted 
by Materialism, which speaks from the depths of 
understanding. That much advancement has come 
along with religion is conceded. Wliile on the other 
hand a great many advanced ideas have been pro- 
pagated in the minds of people who are in no way 
under the influence of such doctrines. People who 
are mentally dwarfed by influence of religious su- 
perstitions, may be the source of good and moral 
ideas, but it does not follow that the same good 
things would not have occurred to them had they 
no religious convictions. There are good as well 
as evil morals among adherents of either of the 
question. This is admitted by all. And that any 
two persons do not see alike on religious questions 
is no indication of itself, that one is a better 
specimen of moral effiiciency than the other. As 
has been shown, the fear of Hell has little effect, 
for all religions promise its evasion with little effort. 

On the religious side we find untold numbers of 
different forms of religious beliefs. And it is im- 
possible to find any two persons who can agree on 
all things pretaining to their doctrine, even though 
they belong to the same denomination. Little 
wonder then that there is so much discord in these 
circles. These conditions would not have been had 
it not been a human institution. There could have been 
no use for so many different religious organizations, 
for if the Creator had deemed it necessary for the 
people to adhere to a religious faith, there would 

(116) 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 91 

liave been but one to indulge in, there would have 
been no use for more, in fact, two would have 
been too many for they could not agree which would 
cause unnecessary dissension. If there had been 
ony one method of obedience and worship, towards 
God, and this form sublime then there would have 
been no question regarding religious worship for 
man to determine. Only one line of pious thought 
would have occupied the mind of all the people. 
Then all would have been righteous in the esti- 
mation of all the rest. Especially had this one re- 
ligion adhered to the truth using only legitimate 
evidences on which to base their doctrines and per- 
mitted no false statements regarding creation to 
permeate their text. If they had only remained 
silent upon subjects they were unable to understand 
there would have been no room for Materialistic 
controversy. But this was not the case and it is 
for this reason that we have scrupulous misgivings 
as to the infallibility of the whole scheme. 

Each religious sect takes a few verses from the 
Bible, from these they have formed the whole fabric 
t)t their devotional services, they are persistent in 
their contentions that these few instructions con- 
tain all the necessary obligations to insure their 
salvation. These people are satisfied to cast to the 
winds of disrepute the whole world of scientific 
knowledge. The few questions they are most in- 
terested in have been answered to their entire sat- 
isfaction. They have no idea whether the answer 
is right or wrong, they have no ambition or incli- 
nation to look further into the question. Generally 
the whole matter is left to the clerg}^ (many of 
whom have little or no real faith in their teach- 



92 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

ings) to dictate to them a form of submissive ob- 
ligation to the church. 

Then it is not strange that it is possible for these 
clergymen numbered by the hundreds of thousands, 
who are posing as instructors of divine truth, are 
enabled to hold with iron grip the reins of domin- 
ating influence over a considerable per cent of the 
people. A few of these men may be sincere in their 
belief that they have been divinely ordained to enter 
the vocation in the capacity of interpreter of 
scriptural principles. But the following truth 
will stand with no fear of contradiction, they 
cannot produce the slightest particle of tangible 
evidence to substantiate their claim. This fact 
doubtless convinces the majority of the ministry 
that their doctrines are shallow and weak, if not 
entirely false. However, it is evident they do 
not have the kind of affection for these claims 
they expect their followers to to have, from the 
fact, only slight observation reveals many im- 
moral crimes being committed by these men. They 
would not dare to indulge in such crime for re- 
verential reasons, if they honored their religion. 
These crimes are seldom exposed by the church 
out of fear that the church will lose its dignity; 
every effort is made to screen the crime from public 
vision yet they occur in immense numbers. The 
clergical criminal does not fear eternal punishment, 
for according to his doctrine, he could not hide his 
shame and disgrace for God even though he was suc- 
cessful in keeping it from his congregation. 

Submitting for consideration those ecclestiastics 
who for nearly twenty centuries have been credited 
with having divine power to forgive sins and save 
the soul from perdition through an alleged purifying 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL. SOUL 93 

process in purgatory. Let it be said of these claims, 
as in all other such cases of assumed supernatural 
performances the faintest evidence of their reality 
does not exist. These reverential fathers have held 
with unabating grip the tyrannical rod of domin- 
ation in their religious world. Their will has been 
the religious law in their realm since the beginning 
of the christian era and still holds sway over two 
hundred fifty million people at this hour. Their 
followers are not entrusted alone with their own 
thoughts on religious subjects. These so-.called 
fathers are supposed to be Equipped with very old 
traditional church records that are far more authen- 
tic than any others in existence, in these ancient 
and private instructions are contained the only really 
authentic transcriptions of holy tradition and is 
supposed by their followers to be the only positively 
secure process leading unto salvation. Yet it is a 
fact, tradition of whatever character, has only anti- 
quity to recommend it. Untill such organizations 
are able to produce reasonable and reliable evidence 
of their authority. Materialists will be forced to 
place them along with all other assumed religious 
authority in the realm of superstition. 

It is particularly astonishing to the cultivated 
reason, with what readiness the unscientific mind is 
adjusted to superstitious religious theories. Each 
religious structure has its following who stubbornly 
defend their theories, claiming all others are de- 
fective and fabulous in their formlas. They are 
usually so egotistical as to think all who do not 
ratif}^ their ideas are devoid of reason even to a 
point of insanity. And the instigator of free thought 
ideas is at once characterized as a demon of the 
darkest dye. He is not worthy of their notice, 



94 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

much less their association. This peculiar situation 
is the direct result of the conflict between Material- 
istic facts and religious fiction, yet the same con- 
flict is going on between religious factions. 

It is true some religious organizations will pre- 
tend to tolerate other religious doctrines out of 
courtesy, but below this courteousness there lies a 
fertile animosity pricked and spurred by ostensive 
jealousy. 

We are often confronted with the assertion that 
all the great magistrates are religiously inclined, 
this apparent fact is used as another weighty evi- 
dence to prove the efficiency of religious influence. 
Whereas to the materialistic observer such claims 
carry no weight whatever, for the- reason a consid- 
erable number of these men are known to be of mat- 
erialistic turn of mind, although they feel it is to 
their interests to make no acknowledgement of such 
belief. Under these conditions the public would 
never know their real convictions. It is plain the 
reason they look upon this matter in this way, is 
because public opinion is at present upholding the 
fanciful and poetic legends which have come to us 
through tradition from an ancient and uncultivated 
age. AVliile public sentiment gives preference of 
favor, to the church, public men who are dependent 
upon those votes for their instatement, can never 
give free expression of their convictions if they are 
not in sympathy with such doctrines. 

However, it does not seem they should be called 
upon to uphold or approve doctrines set forth by 
imy religions denomination or order, who, when 
asked to give pix)of to certify to tbe truth fullness 
of their statements, are desirons of casting uj^on 
the inquirer, the torments of damnation in Hell. 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 95 

Then there are those among these men, as among 
all other classes, who are profoundly ignorant on 
psychological problems, they are unable to make 
empirical and scientific analysis of these subjects. 

If a free thinker ventures to make assertions 
confirming his convictions he is at once, haughtily 
and pompously, demanded to give his reasons for 
disbelief in the ''divine word.'' He is also deman- 
ded to give proof of every assertion he makes, while 
the faithful, have absolute assurance, from the 
clergy, that he will be unable to produce any evi- 
dence to prove his statements, and with the complete 
understanding, they will not accept it no matter 
how convincing the evidence might be. 

To the Materialist it would appear, all religious 
doctrines are based upon imaginary theories, that 
have had their origin in the mind of dreamers. One 
of the mqst prominent of these theories, advances 
the idea that each person has an individual immortal 
spirit or soul, yet connected in some mysterious way, 
with all other such souls, then all in company, con- 
nected with the master spirit, whatever that might 
be, to which the individual souls are returned after 
death, providing their actions have been tolerable 
to the master spirit, while in the flesh. This theory 
may be good, but its reason is wanting. Just why 
this theory should have been devised, is very hard 
to understand if facts, were the object of the in- 
quiry, for there is absolutely, not a grain of evidence 
on which to place a basis for such a theory. Though 
a great many people feel justified in claiming con- 
viction to this theory. They endeavor to defend it 
by assuming, a supernatural being possessing the 
power to install in man, a soul, has the power to 
reclaim, and restore it to the master spirit after 



96 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

death. They support this theory by sighting the 
physical phenomena which shows, all life to be de- 
pendent upon precedent life or that all animal organ- 
ism is dependent for its being, upon parental de- 
scent. From this theory they try to show that man's 
body and soul came direct from Grod. 

This supporting claim, in substance, is material- 
istic, for it is a scientific fact. But at this point 
their hypothesis loses the semblance of an import- 
ant theory. For if the natural forces have the power 
to place upon the earth, an animated being such 
as man, and then incarnate in them a soul, these 
same forces have the power to extinguish it at the 
time of death. Thus we arrive right back at the 
original question : Is the soul reclaimed by a creator, 
or is it discontinued at death? 

All claims of the existence of the soul after death, 
is based upon traditional history, which proves 
nothing more than does the savage 's tradition bear- 
ing up his faith in a happy hunting ground. Of 
which, mention never fails to provoke a smile of 
disgust upon the countenance of any devotees of 
\he so-called civilized religions. Yet the savage 
has the same number of qualifications for his belief 
as does the Christian. 

It will be understood at the very remote time at 
which it is supposed, the original theory of a life 
after death, was originated there was no church and 
this theory did not constitute a religion. It was 
not until the earlier centuries of the Christian era, 
the church was formed. There was probably, but 
one church in the beginning. However, as tbe teacli- 
ings of the church reached out over the surface of 
the then known world, taking up its abode in com- 
munities of wide separation, long periods of time 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 97 

elapsed, with practically no communication, and the 
substance of the church doctrine naturally changed 
its form. Endless transformtations took place, in 
a way that would conform its teachings, as is the 
case today, to the wants and wishes of the people 
and the teachers. These changes are the direct 
cause of so many different denominations. If the 
church had been of divine origin, so-called, these 
changes would have been, not only unnecessary but 
impossible. For as we are told, Grod\s plans are 
always the same, then, now, and forever. Then 
with no modification of the church doctrines, there 
would have been but one church today. However, 
this fact is conceded by all the churches, though 
each pretends, to have sufficient reasons for believ- 
ing it is the originally designed path leading to the 
tree of divine truth. 

Through all of this transformation, we note the 
theory of Heaven and Hell are predominant. In 
few instances are they in any way modified. It is 
not strange that these were preserved as the corner 
stones of all religious thought. They give to it, 
prominence and attraction, and nerve gripping in- 
terest, in fact, they are the hinges on which swings 
the welfare of the whole proposition. 

Those who contend their assurance of the exist- 
ence of these non-logical propositions, is due to soma 
unexplainable impression upon their conscience, 
have in fact, only the same hallucination so prevalent 
among unscientific minds. Distorted imagination 
]n-oves nothing but an impaired understanding. If 
tbey Lave been attending protracted religious meet- 
ings for a number of consecutive evenings, with 
their minds concentrated upon a discourse of bewild- 
ering mysticism, they will in all probability, ex- 



98 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL. SOUL 

perience a i3eciiliar sensation, which they im- 
mediately attribute to being the power of Grod. But 
which is of very common occurrence when the brain 
becomes tired or bewildered, and is in fact, only 
the first stages of hypnotic spell. This soon wears 
foff with rest, but leaves an impression with those 
who do not understand the result of this phenomena, 
as being a sort of omen, of supreme importance and 
of supernatural origin. 

It may be inferred, one of the reasons people so 
readily accept some form of religious doctrine, is 
the intolerable sufferings of man, brings to him a 
desire to seek consolation in the thought of a para- 
dise, that he might at some time enjoy. While for 
want of vengeance on his enemies, brings before him 
visions of Hell. Thus, as there is a desire for these 
places of after life abode, he subsequently feign 
any sort of evidence resembling proof of their ex- 
instance, but takes no pains to examine any evidences 
that would in any way, disprove their being. 

At any time organized scientific efforts are 
brought to bear upon religious myths, in a way 
that will disprove their claims of authority which 
will dissolve public sentiment from their favor. At 
that moment the church in its present form will 
cease to dominate morally or otherwise. If it con- 
tinues, it will have to teach truths that are true, 
and not ^ * truths ' ' that are false, as it has done from 
its origin. The time will surely come when the in- 
telligence of the masses will be evoluted to a point 
wliere tbey will demand truth, founded on scientific 
investigation, regarding these mysteries. They will 
then no longer be allured or frightened into a pre- 
tended belief in mythological fancies, coming from 
a semi-civilized age. 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 99 

Of course it will be impossible for science to iiin 
stall empirical understanding, in people of the lay 
classes, until these classes can acquire a courageous 
desire to attain the invincible truth. At that time 
they will relinlquish their prejudice and submit their 
judgment to thoughtful reason. They will then make 
marvelous progress intellectually. 

It is through this window of scientific understand- 
ing, that we are permitted to gain a glimpse of the 
mighty laboratory of creation. It is then we see 
the absurdity of the ancient myths, devised, by re- 
mote wise men of problems their meagre intel- 
ligence was unable to penetrate, and in which science 
is invariably disproving their deductions. As for 
instance, their condemning the soul to continual 
torment embodying their idea of an eternal abidance 
in the fires of Hell, as described in the Bible, a lake 
of fire. The material body is resurrected and, 
together with the soul, is cast into this fire to burn 
with tormented agony for ever. 

As we understand the action of fire on flesh, it 
is a drying and condensing process. All moisture 
is rapidly removed from the outermost tissues, 
whereupon they are scaled off in the form of an ash. 
The rapidity with which this drying process takes 
place is the cause of pain. If it were to operate 
slowly, there would be no pain, in either case the 
entire material body would be reduced to ashes in 
the course of time. Therefore it is impossible for 
us to understand how the human body could thus 
suffer eternally. For if there was much pain it 
would have to be consumed rapidly, in which case 
it would not last throughout eternity, and if it did 
last for any great length of time, the consuming 



100 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

process would necessarily be so slow there would 
be no pain. 

It might be argued, that by some miraculous trans- 
formation, the body is made to withstand Hell fire 
through eternity and still suffer continually. But 
the scriptures make no mention of such possibility, 
and if it did, it would not establish the statement 
as a fact. 

However, the evolutionary transformation of the 
mind of the people to a standard so high, they will 
no longer tolerate the mental pollution of such ab- 
surdity, will not come rapidly. No more so than 
the natural course of evolution can bring it about. 
Our first scientific thinkers and writers on this sub- 
ject, made this same prediction. As the church is 
still in existence, all clergymen are unanimous in 
their ridicule of this assumption. Yet, those writers 
could see, as we see today, through the vision of 
foresight, this ultimate result is inevitable. That 
the church will lose its influence as an infallible 
organization, is unmistakable from the fact the nat- 
ural trend of the situation is in that direction, seen 
by the materialistic wave that is continually wid- 
ening and broadening throughout the world. In 
the great colleges of higher learning, the scientific 
thought is displacing the religious environment. 
They are becoming more and more interested in 
scientific research, to the exclusion, in silent con- 
tempt, of the mythological religious doctrines. Also 
a great change is noticeable in the religious activities 
of the people of the masses, they are becoming more 
liberal in their religious views, considering the mat- 
ter with more generous munificence. 

A great deal of the present day church work is 
carried on by reason of thre sociability and moral 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 101 

benevolence it affords, rather than from sheer divine 
devotion. In many communities, the church con- 
gregations are made up almost wholly of women, 
while the men are everywhere growing less inter- 
ested in devotional exercises. 

These conditions are becoming more marked 
especially in the last decade. This mental attitude 
did not come about by accident; there is a reason 
for it, which can be attributed to cause and effect. 
The inquisitive nature of man has given to him 
strength to compare the teachings of modern science 
and reason, with the demands of the church. And as 
* ' survival of the fittest ' ' must prevail, those fabulous 
declarations must gradually but eventually fall be- 
fore the sharpening cycle of accessable knowledge. 
In time those ecclesiastical creeds will no longer 
take precedence over wisdom. 

In the face of this cognizant situation, the clergy 
is placing great reliance on the claim that the church 
is making distinct gains. They contend such facts, 
as sufficient evidence that the Bible is the inspired 
word of God. Be this as it may and whatever bear- 
ing it may have with the convictions of the average 
person, it will give us no intelligence whatever on 
the question at issue, for there are other reasons 
why the church should make great gains, in every 
way. We are not amazed that the church is making 
gains, when we take into account the fact, there are 
men numbered by the hundreds of thousands, who 
are making it their sole occupation to expound the 
doctrines of the church. While at the same time 
millions of Bibles and as many more popular relig- 
ious books, fill the shelves of public and private 
libraries, while untold numbers of religious period- 
icals are flitting their leaves in every nook and comer 



102 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

of the land. All teaching the public, they are sin- 
ners in the eyes of the Lord and in greatest danger 
of sacrificing their eternal happiness, nnless they 
submit to be lead from the darkness of sin, to the 
light of righteousness, by the process of religious 
devotion. 

On the other hand, there is not a man making it his 
exclusive business to discuss Materialistic views. 
There are few, if any, lecturers touching upon this 
subject and very few popular books treating upon 
the subject. People who are taking interest in Ma- 
terialistic findings, are doing so out of purely selfish 
motives; they do not care to induce others to join 
their ranks, feeling that everyone has a right to their 
own opinion regarding these matters. Wliat time 
they devote to the subject is done so for their own 
satisfaction. None of them are making any money 
out of it and none of them care to. If the public 
do not care to accept the deductions of scientific 
research and subsequently Materialism, they are at 
liberty to leave it alone ; though Materialists under- 
stand these researches are the only mantle that will 
shed the light of knowledge upon the pathway of 
wisdom. No other course within the reach of man^s 
propensities, will yield to him more than delusion 
and curbed understanding. Again, Materialists have 
no desire to condemn any unbeliever in their faith 
to the tortures of Hell, as does the sanctified and 
holy righteous teachers of the church. 

Under this peculiar unorganized, unenergetic and 
indifferent procedure. Materialism is making un- 
bounded strides in the march of intellectual progress, 
mainly among the unbiased and higher educated 
scholars. The essential reason for this beins: the 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 103 

situation, is the scientifically cultured mind is not 
bewildered by the fanciful allurements of romantic 
fables. And the apparent awakening of new spiritual 
inspiration or supernatural influences of the holy 
spirit, are understood to be only passing fancies 
of persons having little faculty of choice determ- 
ination. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Religions as Superstition^,. 

It is highly offensive to the Christian to allude to 
his religion as a superstitious faith. But any reli- 
gion that believes the first man was momentarily 
created in full development of manhood and out of 
ordinary road dust and the first woman was also 
fully developed and instantly matured from a bit of 
rib bone, a reptile having a perfect vocabulary, who 
conversed in the human tongue with them, is cer- 
tainly superstitious. 

A religion that teaches as a truth that there was 
a rainstorm that lasted incessantly for six weeks in 
which the deluge, like torrents, enveloped and 
drowned the whole earth, together with the story of 
an ark that drifted for over a year, with millions of 
specimen animals, insects and reptiles, together with 
all manner of fowls and a goodly representation of 
the human family, all housed in a boxlike inclosure, 
without doors or windows or other ventilation; 
stories of rivers being turned to blood, of sea waters 
being parted and dry roads formed across their beds, 
only the superstitious could believe. 

A religion that asks us to believe millions of peo- 
ple were fed for forty years in a desert upon manna 
from Heaven alone, the stories of the feats of Sam- 
son, or the story of Jonah and the whale, or Lot's 
wife being turned to salt; the tale of Joshua stop- 
ping the rotation of the earth to lengthen a day ; the 
immense ages of Noah, Methusala and many others, 

(104) 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 105 

such a religion is asking its followers to be supersti- 
tious. 

The tale of Daniel remaining in a den of ferocious 
and starved lions without being harmed, or the story 
of Cain finding a wife in the Land of Nod when there 
were no people from which to select a wife. The new 
Jerusalem which is described as a city standing 
somewhere in space, that is not only fifteen hundred 
miles square but also the same number of miles high ; 
the miraculous conception of Christ ; of the miracles 
he was claimed to have performed; his rising from 
the dead and ascending bodily up to Heaven ; the day 
dreams of John as chronicled in the Book of Revela- 
tions, all bear suspicious evidence of being kept alive 
by superstitious people. 

Religion, as well as all other forms of superstition, 
is so firmly imbeded in the imaginative element of 
man's composition, by reason of its having been bred 
into him for so many centuries, it is not possible that 
he could have this vice corrected in a moderate 
length of time. It is more reasonable to suppose 
that it will be necessary to breed it out of him by the 
same method that it was bred in. The time at which 
we might expect all traces of superstition will be 
eradicated from the human intellect will depend 
upon what time the cleaning begins with a determi- 
nation to make a thorough renovation. 

The baseless credulity manifested in the belief of 
supernatural revelation is one of the greatest factors 
in superstitional beliefs. It is also one of the most 
difficult to eradicate from the minds of the people. 
Its absurdity is marked, when we make a few reflec- 
tions and comparisons. For example: If one of 
our foremost and credible citizens of today were to 
publicly proclaim that he had received through reve- 



106 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL. SOUL 

latioii from God, an important message of instruc- 
tions for the welfare of the people, he would at once 
be criticised in no mistakable terms for heresy by the 
religious fanatic. And his mental condition would 
be called in question by the more conservative. Wliile 
these same people are only too eager to accept such 
proclamations assumed to have been issued by men 
who lived in an obscure age, and were, doubtless, 
only plain aborigines, possessing unconservative 
proclivities. Another form of superstition is mani- 
fested by some religious bodies who claim it is pos- 
sible for them to cure all ailments the human body is 
heir to. By the simple exertion of faith and the ad- 
ministration of particular forms of prayers. The 
combining of faith with prayer is, of course, very es- 
sential, because if the operation fails to have the de- 
sired effect, and the prayer is not answered, the pa- 
tient is accused of failing in his faith. And the the- 
ory of the efficacy of prayer loses none of its potency. 

However, such forms of treatment might have 
beneficial effect upon what might be termed imagi- 
nary complaints. In fact, it might be possible to 
bring about reactionary mental forces to bear so 
strongly upon the system that some forms of nerv- 
ousness would be modified. Such ailments as in- 
somnia and perhaps some form of neuralgia may be 
eliminated to some extent. 

Any ailment that is being aggravated by mental 
depression would doubtless react with a reaction of 
mental activities. But it is not possible such treat- 
ment could have any beneficial effect upon malignant 
tumors or dislocated joints, as is sometimes claimed 
they do. If this were possible why should they not 
go a few steps further and grow new limbs on the 
mutilated bodies of the maimed, or restore organs 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL. 107 

of vision in the eyeless sockets of the blind*? These 
things are impossible for the reason they are not in 
accordance with the processes of natural laws. No 
prayers or any form of faith ever has, or ever will, 
change the course of these laws. 

When we deny the existence of the immortal soul 
we are confronted by other formidable bodies of su- 
perstitious sects, one of these in particular styles 
themselves Spiritualists. These people think they 
have Materialistic demonstrations available to sup- 
port their belief in spirits. Regardless of what effect 
these spiritual demonstrations have upon the laity, 
it is well known they do not possess any qualities of 
service to science. If they are not wholly fictitious, 
these phenomenal experiments may be classed with 
the phenomenal demonstrations of hypnotism and 
mental telepathy. 

To say a scientific explanation can be made of any 
of these phenomena would not be consistent with 
what knowledge we possess of the matter. This 
much is known. Each demonstration requires the 
efforts of a medium or demonstrator who must put 
himself in harmony with the situation. He must be 
in full possession of his senses, he must also have 
undivided attention and co-operation of the com- 
pany. If at any time he loses conjunctive support of 
the assistant no demonstration will materialize. If 
during the act of the demonstration the operator 
was, by any means stricken senseless, the demon- 
stration would at once cease or fail to develop. 

Knowing the foregoing requirements are essential 
for a successful demonstration with so-called spirits, 
we are forced to make the following deductions: 
Whatever activity is exerted to produce the assumed 
phenomenon, it is contained within and is a part of 



108 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

the physical being of the operator. Furthermore, it 
is not claimed that spirits make demonstrations 
without the aid of mediums. Therefore, the conclu- 
sion should be, that no spirits are needed to carry 
on an experiment and that all such demonstrations 
are accountable entirely to the material energy of 
the operator for its appearance, and its hallucinative 
effect upon the spectators. 



Those who are following any of the many different 
Christian religions willingly imagine themselves 
very much out of harmony with all the oriental forms 
of religion. They claim those are not the true Godly 
designed forms of worship and are, in fact, only 
heathen superstitions. There is no question but this 
is a correct hypohesis. But do not Christians real- 
ize their religions are also heathen superstitions as 
viewed by the modern Materialist! 

It is true most of the oriental religions worshiped 
idols. The reason for this is their power of imagina- 
tion is not as strong as that of the Christian. They 
could not form a plan of devotion to an unseen deity. 
The fact they chose to believe the spirit of God dwelt 
in a stone, wooden or metal idol, is no more heathen- 
ish than the Christian's belief that it dwells in their 
modern sanctuary. This practice did not impair the 
idolator's faith, or lessen his conception of a living 
deity. Their intention was just as obedient, accord- 
ing to their conception of divine worship as any other 
religious service. Their doctrines were based upon 
traditional legends that were doubtless just as an- 
cient and authentic as those of any other religion. 

It is this discrepancy of these ancient traditions 
that gives rise to conflicting convictions. The con- 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 109 

troversy becomes more and more perpetual. One 
possessing full faith in frivolous doctrines, taught 
to his race from infancy. The other, insanely jeal- 
ous of his neighbor, clings more adhesively to the 
religious doctrines that have fed the apathetic brain 
of his race since its origin. The controversy shows 
both conceptions to be the product of the inventive 
faculty of man, and not the unremitting and inten- 
sive design of an omnipotent God. One of these con- 
ceptions of divine worship is surely wrong, the other 
is probably no less erroneous. 

However, the modern Christian has the impres- 
sion it is the oriental form that is in error. And he 
expends immense energies in foreign missionary 
work. These societies are doubtless a great benefac- 
tor, having done a great deal of good in foreign lands 
in a general educational way. While this fact is 
heartily conceded, there can be no room for doubt 
but there could have been more real good done there, 
as in our own country, through the course of sci- 
entific channels, than through religious influence. 

There could be no more reason for polluting the 
minds of ignorant foreigners with unreasonable su- 
perstition to educate them, than there is to fetter the 
mental possibilities of our own children with the 
same mythological ideas. 

Many queer and superstitious theories have been 
devised from the observation of mental phenomena, 
the causes of which are not well understood. 
Some of these peculiarities are used on which to 
establish some new religion, or used as a support 
to strengthen faith in other religious doctrines 
already established. The dual mind theory has 
commanded the attention of a great many theorists 
for a considerable time. This theory assumes 



110 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

that man possesses two minds, one of which is 
described as the objective mind. This is the mind 
we are acquainted with ; it is the ordinary conscious- 
ness ; its conditions are the five senses. This object- 
ive mind is admitted to be destructible with the body. 
The other mind is termed the subjective mind. Which 
is supposed to be the inactive or uncontrollable 
section of the intellect. Advocates of this theory ad- 
mit that we really know very little about the subjec- 
tive mind, but pretend to prove that such a mind does 
exist, from experiments made with the phenomena 
known as hypnotism and mental telepathy. They 
also contend that dreams are the result of the ac- 
tivities of the subjective mind. 

To the mind of the modern Materialist they sim- 
ply try to explain these phenomena by inventing this 
theory of the subjective mind, or, as they choose to 
call it, the immortal soul. But with this theory it 
appears that it is necessary to create a human body 
in order to obtain one of these subjective minds 
as with the soul. Therefore it would seem reason- 
able to believe it is dependent upon the body for its 
existence, and if it exists at all, there is absolutely 
no reason for believing that it survives the destruc- 
tion of the body. On the other hand, if the subject- 
ive mind, or soul, is separate from the body, and we 
really know nothing about it, not acquainted with it, 
so to speak, why should we manifest any interest in 
it at any time! 

Dreams have been the source of considerable con- 
templation through all time. Many believe dreams 
are omens of coming events. Others think it is the 
involuntary action of the subjective mind. Modem 
Materialists explain dreams as being the result of 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 111 

impaired mental activities. The result is almost 
identical with that produced in insane persons. 

To understand these results it will be necessary 
to have some idea of the physiology of the brain mat- 
ter. In this research we find the physical organs of 
the brain are composed of immense numbers of dif- 
ferent sections, or divisoins, each calculated to per- 
form certain functions within themselves, and, in 
conjunction with other sections of the organ, each 
section of the brain is the physical basis of certain 
mental energies. By the exercises of these energies 
a person becomes more efficient in certain lines of 
endeavor, and those portions of the brain matter 
most in use will become developed to such a percepti- 
ble degree as to leave no doubt that the special de- 
velopment of this matter is the result of mental ac- 
tivities ; or an individual may be endowed by natural 
cogent talent in certain lines, such as music, drawing, 
mathematics, etc., caused by an especially highly de- 
veloped portion of the brain matter at birth of the 
individual. Thus it is seen every faculty has 
its special compartment in the brain structure, 
and from the fact that it is possible to develop 
these faculties, we are led to believe that each 
conscious experience leads to the creation of new 
brain cells. Wliile each faculty is developed in 
its own compartment it is necessary for this section 
of the brain to work co-operatively with the other 
sections, or we would have developed unbalanced 
ideas. And right here is where we get the explana- 
tion of dreams, as well as insane conditions. The 
brain is capable of generating thoughts, which, 
through their course of development, are guided by 
the individual's judgment — which is the result of 
learning — to a scientifically conceived calculation. 



112 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

But when a partially paralyzed condition occurs in 
one or more of these sections of the brain by reason 
of disease, as a permanent affliction, and sleep as a 
temporary rest, extorted ideas will be the result. 
Dreams never occur during profound sleep. It is at 
a stage when only a portion of the brain cells are 
thus affected that the abnormal mental impressions 
are produced. The normal portions of the brain are 
capable of producing thoughts that would, under or- 
dinary conditions produce intelligent ideas, though 
under these abnormal conditions the individuars 
better judgment is impaired to such an extent he is 
unable to control these abnormal thoughts, and one 
such unbalanced idea is responsible for another, and 
the process goes on until profound sleep or entire 
wakefulness relieves the demented condition. Where 
disease is the cause of some of these brain cells' in- 
activity, we perceive extorted ideas are continuous 
and our diagnosis is insanity. 

Another queerly construed idea is that human in- 
telligence is supernatural, and the claim that man is 
the only animal possessing such intelligence ; that all 
the apparent intelligence displayed by the lower ani- 
mals is the result of natural instinct. This theory 
may satisfy the desire of some who fancy it strength- 
ens their argument of the existence of an immortal 
soul, but the probabilities that any naturalist could 
lead himself to believe such theory contained a con- 
formity of facts is exceedingly slight. 

Animals do not think as intricately as does man, 
but to say they do not think at all is placing blank 
opinion ahead of judicial reason. The fact that all 
animals are capable of being taught many feats that 
are far remote from their natural tendencies, will 
disprove such ideas. Our friend the dog is easily 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 113 

trained to care for other domestic animals ; he is also 
readily taught to perform tricks without number. 
We see plainly traits showing intellectual activity in 
the wild and ferocious animals and reptiles when 
they cunningly plan the attack and capture of their 
prey. The lazy crocodile lying upon the sunny beach 
l)lans the capture of a bathing pickaninny, then ac- 
complishes his desire with unquestionable skill, and 
makes off with his prey. This tendency may be in- 
stinctive, but it is evident he never captured two 
pickaninnies at the same place or in exactly the same 
way; therefore it was necessary for him to make 
some mental calculations in his process of attack. 
Again we see two wild animals of the forest sparring 
for an attack ; each one is displaying almost human 
intelligence in designing an advance. The clash 
comes, each animal aiming at the vital part of his 
foe, every means at his command is brought into 
play. When one decides he is outclassed he loses 
no time in making his retreat and to a place where he 
will have the advantage, behind a rock or in a cave, 
or he may hide himself in some obscure place. These 
actions may be termed instinct, but his judgment and 
reason are guiding him in his mode of defense. 

When very young pigs are suddenly surprised by 
an approaching object they will quickly prostrate 
themselves flat on the ground, in an apparent effort 
to hide themselves. This is instinct, plain and sim- 
ple, because all little pigs do this in the same way. 
However, this trait is not continued after the animal 
becomes a few weeks of age ; apparently there comes 
to them a realization that the act is a useless agency 
of protection. This is only one instance showing 
that animals learn very readily, by experience. 

All domestic animals soon learn where their water- 



114 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

ing place is, as well as the place where they may ob- 
tain food, showing their intellect is capable of re- 
taining impressions. Such impressions could not 
be thus retained, if there was no faculty whereby 
they could record in their memory, transpiring oc- 
currences. This faculty is not equally marked in all 
classes of animasl, nor in all individuals of the same 
class. Yet it exists in a more or less degree in all of 
them. 

Accordingly we are driven to the following con- 
clusions : If all animals have reasoning intelligence, 
however crude and undeveloped it may be, it places 
them in the same general class with men. The fact 
they are not man's equal does not disprove nature's 
primary intention to have all animals, including man, 
in the same classification, intellectually as well as 
physically. Or a more proper statement might be, 
to say there is nothing to prove that nature intended 
man to be different intelligently from other animals. 

Many times through many generations have these 
same problems been worked out. Many consecutive 
generations of free thinkers have dwelt upon these 
questions long before they were awarded the dis- 
tinction of scientists. Their meditations left with 
them strong convictions that man is only an animal 
in the eyes of nature. These conclusions came 
through an honest research and an honest motive. 
Yet this class of scientists have received, from the 
clerg^^, the most severe condemnation during their 
lifetime. After which they have invariably been ac- 
cused of repenting of their views at the last hour of 
their lives. While it is not impossible that a few free 
thinkers have, at this time, repented, it is not prob- 
able that a scientifically educated Materialist would 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 115 

relinquish his confirmed belief in his convictions at 
the last hour of his life, no more so than there would 
1)e for the most devout Christian losing faith in his 
devoted belief at such an hour. However, if such a 
coincidence did occur at the end of a long siege of 
illness, in which the patient was reduced to utter 
exhaustion, both physically and mentally, it would 
not be strange if they did revert to some form of 
religion, especially if they were subjected to the will 
and influence of others who were religiously inclined, 
at that time. 

There are many more real reasons why a person 
should become confirmed in the Materialistic find- 
ings, than that he should become infatuated with the 
teachings of the church, especially if his own men- 
tality is sufficiently potent to enable him to exercise 
self-jurisdiction. 

It is generally conceded by Materialists that no 
one has a just right to either affirm or deny the hold- 
ing of modern Materialism, or any other scientific 
deductions, unless the mind is capable in every way 
to conceive and master the problems there involved. 



CHAPTER VITI. 

Modern Materialism is the direct oppositionist 
to the doctrines of spiritual religions. Yet it is 
safe to assume that if the church had to undergo 
the same scrutiny and then depend upon the same 
unorganized and unpretentious facilities for its pro- 
gress, that Materialism is doing. It would rapidly 
lose its prestige. 

The great amount of energy expended by the 
church in heralding her doctrines throughout the 
word, is amazing. Although, it is a source of great 
anxiety, among church heads, that the church is 
losing its power of influence to an alarming degree. 

With all of their glowing assurance of absolute 
trust in their followers, there lurks behind this 
glittering array of confidence, a realization that 
Materialistic views are permeating religious organ- 
izations causing a weakening of religious faith in a 
more dangerous way than ever existed any prev- 
ious period. 

It is remarkable the great and exhaustive ener- 
gies disbursed by the traveling evangelists, both 
great and small. They are of all classes of ability 
and roam the country in great numbers. Some of 
them are making vast fortunes from the vending 
of, what they each choose to call a true form of 
Christian religion. They study religion from a 
business stand point and give the business end of 
the game, the greater part of their attention. 

In any community where one of these evangelists 
is billed to carry on a campaigTi, it is understood, 
the people are expected to hail him with great cheer. 

(90) 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 117 

He must be entreated to the very best the community 
afford. Above all he must be well paid for his 
services. While not a word of criticism regarding 
the evangelist, his methods or his doctrine, shall be 
uttered by any one, such utterances would be a crime 
of such immense magnitude, its disgrace would be 
bej^ond expression. Its perpetrator would be looked 
upon with the most stupenduous awe. 

If a well appearing gentleman came among them, 
selling fictions securities, condemnation would be 
heaped upon him from every hand. While, if the 
same gentleman came to dispense a fictitious reli- 
gion, even at a much higher price, the public would 
be expected to receive him with open arms. He is 
allowed to censure the people of the community in 
every way his vocabulary permits, yet every state- 
ment he utters and every charge he makes must have 
the heartiest sanction of the people or they pay the 
penalty of Hell, according to his teachings. 

When his services of a few weeks duration have 
ended, his purse must be well filled, congratulating 
compliments must accompany him on his way. He 
takes with him the loyal esteem of the newly devoted 
converts. This class earnestly expect the whole 
community to join them in their apparent adequate 
appreciation of evangelical efficiency. They court 
every impression left by the evangelist as though 
it were a direct rehearsal of the will of God. The 
evangelist is careful to leave this suggestion with 
his convert as well as to impress upon them that he 
has conferred the greatest blessing it is possible to 
bestow. He has lead them to believe through all 
his discourses, he has not made a single statement 
holding other than divine truth, though the greater 



118 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

percent of which are by the laws of reason con- 
futed. 

There are cases on recent record where there has 
been more than a hundred thousand dollars paid to 
one evangelist for no more than eight weeks of such 
service. Some of these men are glorified with the 
record of having converted people by the thousands 
during a single course of meetings. Yet the actual 
number of converts cannot be placed at more than 
ten percent of the total attendance. If the evangelist 
is of the insignificant variety, and his total attend- 
ance is one thousand, the converts will number ap- 
proximately one hundred. While if he is capable of 
assuming the proportions of a great evangelist and 
his total attendance aggregate a hundred thousand 
people, then his converts may number ten thousand. 
For about this percent of the people can be relied 
upon to accept any form of doctrine, religious or 
otherwise, and it matters little how absurd or unrea- 
sonable the logic of the doctrine may be. 

The more physical exercise and abnormal expres- 
sion the evangelist displays in expounding his 
theories the more effect it will have upon his au- 
dience. He is then described as possessing unusual 
skill in divine interpretation. He is thus more 
certain to be rewarded with the ten percent of his 
hearers in accepting him and his doctrine as divine 
agents. 

The great enthusiasm manifested in some of the 
large tabernacle campaigns held by some of the 
more widely renowned evangelists throughout the 
country in recent years, is presumed by the en- 
thusiasts as being due to the evangelist being espe- 
cially ordained by God to carry on this particular 
branch of religious work. But the modern thinker 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 119 

will attribute it to the ignorance of the masses on 
psychological subjects. By reason of this ignorance 
they are easily swayed to or from any doctrine if 
it is well presented. 

The Materialistic philosopher considers such 
evangelists scientific business managers of rare 
ability. Who by the artistic manipulation of their 
affairs are enabled to yoke and enslave the public 
press to unconsciously render unlimited amounts of 
free advertising to the evangelist. The large daily 
papers as well as every class of periodicals appear 
to lose all power of resistance in their wild clamor 
of news and willingly submitt to the demands of the 
evangelist for free space. This advantage alone 
would promote the efforts of almost any one to re- 
nown and success in almost any line of endeavor. 
When these daily papers condescend to donate thou- 
sands of dollars worth of free advertising their read- 
ers are enamored with a desire to see and hear the 
evangelist, conselquently great audiences are the re- 
sult, and as they do not realize that his success is 
due in great part to the mismanagement of the news 
papers advertising department. They imagine he 
is endowed with supernatural qualities which in their 
estimation makes all of his statements profound 
truths, thus a goodly number will be converted. 

Let us see what is the most essential qualities 
necessary to become an ardent enthusiast in religious 
doctrines. In the first place, the candidate must 
put his mind in a susceptible attitude to receive the 
doctrine, he must agree to believe every thing with- 
out question the church teaches, and more he must 
confirm everything the pastor sees fit to teach. He 
must cast asunder any conclusions of his own, and 
must not be guilty « of examining any theories not 



120 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

authorized by the church. The religious convert 
must require no scientific proofs whatever of the 
claims set up by the church. The mere mention 
of such an outrageous suggestion would endanger 
the welfare of his soul. 

And no mortal efforts could be expected to be 
crowned with am^ semblance of success under such 
blasphemous circumstances. 

The truth is, such candidates must be held in 
ig-norance and subjection, in fear and trembling, if 
possible, they must not be allowed to think for 
themselves on religious subjects until they are safely 
bound by religious convictions. Their enviroments 
must be at all times those of the church, all advant- 
ages of which must be paid for liberally with cash 
as well as devotion. This feature is quite essential 
that the earnings and revenues of the ministry 
shall continue. This is doubtless the most signif- 
icant motive of the whole scheme. 

At all events, the religious converts mind must 
not become contaminated with materialistic views. 
It is plain he must be kept in ignorance on this sub- 
ject if he is to remain a devoted dupe, with lax 
purse and devoted energies to induce others to join 
the fold. 

A very few of these converts are self-responsible 
for their own conversion. Only a very small percent 
if any of them could give a single intelligent reason 
for accepting the faith. While on the other hand 
there are no greater percent of the nonreligious 
element j:hat can give intelligent reasons for not ac- 
cepting some religious cult. This condition is right- 
ly explained by the masses of the people devoting 
no attention to this subject, they are depending upon 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 121 

otliers to do tlieir thinking' for them. Thus they 
are easily lead in any direction. Any theory plau- 
sibly presented appear to them to be right and 
reasonable. Therefore, the first doctrine they come 
in contact with is the one they become infatuated 
with, and if they happen to be associated with 
any particular religious influences they become 
devoted to that mode of belief and soon find 
satisfaction in believing the Bible is the key to 
all problems. Many of these people becoiiue 
fanatics, they are devoted to this or that belief 
and do not inquire as to the infallibility of the 
doctrine. Their entire time of devotional energy 
is spent nursing their chosen cult. Almost the 
entire time of each church service is devoted in 
whipping the people into line and condemning them 
in unmerciful terms if they refuse to obey. Each 
clergyman, of course, rests in the theory that he 
is infallibly correct in all particulars. Each church 
has its own theological schools, where they teach 
their own religious doctrines and dogmas according 
to tlieir own ideas. It is here their clergymen are 
educated to preach these prepossessions to the peo- 
ple. Many of these ideas are directly opposite to 
those of other denominations, though each are stub- 
bornly defending their contentions. 

There has been some agitation of consolidation 
of churches in which an amalgamation would be the 
necessary result. On close observation it is learned 
those most interested in the movement could be 
induced to participate only by the other churches 
coming to their belief and doctrine. Thus we see 
the antagonism is wedging itself more firmly be- 
tween the different church sects at each endeavor to 
convince the non-believer that their intentions and 



122 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

purposes are mutual. Antagonism! Is it possible 
there could be antagonism in G^ods own church! 
What must we conclude knowing these conditions 
prevail? How is the church going to explain away 
these difficulties? Wliat will they say of these dis- 
crepancies that will make them clear to the inquirer? 

The church still pretends to be the guiding agency 
of civilization, they are continually suggesting wa^^s 
and means by which the people should be lead or 
forced to accept their teachings. They have set 
on foot numerous efforts to enforce the Sunda^^ law/ 
In this movement there is always an effort made to 
put out of business all Sunday amusements and 
close the i^arks. This should never come to pass, 
but if it does, it would be a long stride backwards. 
It would be giving the church a dominating power 
that no organization should have without the con- 
sent of all the people. If the church should obtain 
such power, the next step would be to unite church 
and state. This would give the church the power 
to force its submissions upon the unwilling citizens. 
Such domination could not be right or just, no more 
so than if Materialists were so strong that they 
could and would force their views upon the unwilling 
church enthusiast. 

When any one sees fit to revel in any particular 
doctrine, whether it is crowned with all the most 
rational ideas ever presented by human intelligence 
or not they should not be restrained from doing 
so. But they should never on any account obtain 
the authority to force such views upon any one 
against their will. 

Under those conditions, one sects would soon gain 
the political power, then all would be forced to pay 
tribute to the predominating church. There are 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 123 

clmrcli organizations today who have definite designs 
on just such dominating power. This is a fact not 
concealed and the truthfulness of which cannot be 
questioned. It would be safe to say there is not a 
church organization in existence who do not long 
to wield the power of the law, they feel perfectly 
competent and would feel justifiable in attaining this 
sort of strength. Some of these organizations ma- 
nifest no such desire, claiming to opose the union 
of church and state, but this only occurs with those 
who are so hopeless in the minority they could never 
hope to hold such an important position. 

If any of them should, such authority would 
doubtless force the whole land into submission. In 
fact, any of the churches will accuse all the rest of 
having necessary inclinations to operate that kind 
of jurisdiction, but will deny that they themselves 
are in a class with any of the others in this desire. 
Such would be a glorious situation for the party in 
power, but would be Hell for all the rest. 

The theory that it is sinful to attend moral places 
of amusement on Sunday is insane absurdity. If it 
cannot be considered harmful to attend on other days 
it cannot be scientifically considered harmful on 
Sunday. Sunday is a fact only in theory. It cannot 
be distinguished by any scientific process, therefore 
it is practically no different from any other day in 
the eyes of nature. 

It will be admitted Sunday amusements are a men- 
ace to the church, as they would be to any other or- 
ganization, Materialists included, if such organiza- 
tions had a desire to force their doctrines upon the 
whole community and persisted in setting aside one 
whole day each week for that express purpose. But 
those who do not want to attend any kind of Sunday 



124 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

services should not be forced to do so by the few 
that do. 

Dancing and card parties are especially singled 
out and awarded the vigorous condemnation of the 
church. Just why they have been the brunt of war- 
fare is not easy to understand. That possible harm 
has been known to result from excessive indulgence 
in these pastimes is possible. In fact, it is quite 
probable that some have slipped from the path of 
right living while indulging in them. But if the few 
who can attribute their downfall to these amuse- 
ments were compared in numbers to those who have 
participated and experienced no detrimental results, 
the percentage on comparison would show those with 
destroyed morals would be so greatly in the minority 
their numbers would fade into insignificance. 

If dancers were the only ones that fell from grace 
then we might take notice. But people from all 
walks of life, even vast numbers of the clergy, have 
fallen into disgrace. And no one would accuse a 
clergyman of dancing or playing at cards. We are 
requested again to mention nothing of the fact that 
immoral clergymen are abounding in great numbers. 
It is asserted that such suggestion reflects injustice 
on the church. It is not the church that materialism 
is seeking to corrupt, or unjustly defame the minis- 
try at large. It is the truth Materialism is seeking 
and it refuses to unjustly shield the ministry or the 
church or any other organization with misstatements 
or false reports. Neither will it bear false witness 
or tolerate untrue evidence to defend or befriend any 
person, creed, doctrine or theory whatsoever. 

There can be no doubt but that those who have 
transgressed the moral laws have done so in full pos- 
session of their faculties, and have indulged because 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 125 

it was their desire to do so. It is also probable danc- 
ing had nothing whatever to do with their downfall. 
Though it is plain to see that any profligates, when 
questioned on so delicate a subject, would naturally 
tend to charge their disgrace to some irresponsible 
source. It is quite clear the warfare directed against 
these amusements, as many other so-called sins, is 
only another desire on the part of the clergy to 
dominate over the pleasures and pastimes of their 
followers. 

Those who are devoted to the theory of soul re- 
demption will confront the Materialist with what 
they consider a most stupendous question, as fol- 
lows : If Materialism takes from us whatever conso- 
lation we derive from a belief and faith in a heavenly 
reward, what has it to offer as a recompense!. In 
the first place, Materialism offers to us absolute and 
unflinching truth concerning ourselves. It has en- 
deavored in a fearless manner to obtain the facts 
regarding man's origin and destiny unadulterated 
Avith myth. Its only object is to place before us the 
true conditions regarding this important subject. It 
is in constant search for scientific facts, with no other 
object in view than to enlighten the world as to all 
things of human interest. It endeavors to deter- 
mine and designate the natural laws controlling 
phenomenas and energies that influence the welfare 
of mankind. 

As to the reward and punishment for right and 
wrong living, Materialism teaches we shall suffer 
only the punishment meted out to us while we are 
alive, which is doubtless sufficient in most cases. The 
tortures of self-conscience and remorse, together 
with the different modes of punishments administer- 
ed by the criminal statutes, will meet the necessary 



126 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL. SOUL 

requirements for our immediate welfare. At any 
rate it will certainly be unnecessary, as well as very 
unjust, to torture any criminal in everlasting liellfire 
throughout eternity. 

If Materialism does no other good, it blesses man 
with the thought there is not a single soul being sub- 
jected to the unspeakable torment as that described 
and taught by the church. This of itself should be a 
great relief to the mind of any one. How can anyone 
see a happy or contented moment borne down by this 
terrible declaration and proposal of the church? 
That not only possibly, but most probably, some or 
all of their loved ones who have relinquished life 
are being unjustly submitted to this unthinkable con- 
demnation if the important declarations of the Bible 
and church are true. 

After we have resolved to accept this awful and 
unreasonable proposition as divine truth, and when 
we have decided the whole operation is designed and 
carried out by an all wise, powerful and merciful 
God, we are expected to humble ourselves when we 
bow our heads in prayer and praise to this imaginar^^ 
man-God who will have condemned almost the entire 
population that has inhabited the earth to this eter- 
nal damnation, according to the best judgment of 
the foremost theologians. Any sincerity in such a 
belief would be sufficient to place anyone in a class 
with the insane. 

Why should not any theory be welcome that would 
remove this heart-rending agony from the minds 
of those who are surely writhing in inexplicit an- 
guish under the belief that such conditions do really 
exist? This damnable enigma should no longer oc- 
cupy a place in the minds of civilized man. With 
the present state of intellectuality, such illusive doc- 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 127 

triues should be erased from the whole category of 
mental reasoning. 

Some otherwise loyal religious people claim they 
do not believe anyone will be tortured in hell for 
frivolous sins and that they are willing to strike out 
this or that from the Bible text and reject it as ab- 
surd and untrue. But this fact will confront such 
people: The whole fabric of religious thought of 
whatever variety is derived from those ancient tra- 
ditions that go to make up the Bible, and it must be 
accepted or rejected in whole. Any other view would 
be inconsistent for it could not be possible to accept 
the sweet and reject the bitter of these doctrines. If 
the story of heaven is true, then the story of hell is 
also true. There can be no other conception. There 
is as much proof of one as the other. 

Materialism does not admit of reward after death 
for good deeds done during the lifetime of individ- 
uals. All rewards must be expected while life ex- 
ists, and must be received while we are in position 
to enjoy them. But what are we to expect in the 
way of reward! How are we to receive them, and 
how are we to know they are rewards ! 

In considering this question it will be necessary to 
take into account the well-established fact: he who 
conforms his movement to those of natural laws, will 
receive his reward for so doing. If he acknowledges, 
and conforms to the laws of health, he will, in all 
probability, receive the reward derived from having 
good health. While if he disregards these laws he 
is almost certain to pay the penalty for such trans- 
gression, and sickness will be the inevitable result. 

If man plans his future in accordance with the dic- 
tations of these laws, he may expect advantageous 
results. Therefore, if self respect is one of the high- 



128 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

est ambitions that appeals to him and he carries out 
his activities with the idea of maintaining these re- 
iquirements according to the views of public opinion, 
he will be certain to receive the respect and admira- 
tion of his fellow men. But if he is careless as to 
these particulars, giving little or no attention to their 
influences, Nature will unmindfully mete out to him 
the intense punishment of disgi^ace. Perhaps the 
most sublime reward we may expect in return for 
right living is the unestimable glory of public ad- 
miration and respect. 

Honesty, morality, industry and kindness may be 
regarded as the four corner stones on which a per- 
fect character may be built. Such a character might 
be expected to stand out in sublime quality and re- 
ceive the highest esteem possible for public respect 
to bestoWj which is the most lofty attainment in life, 
in fact the only one worth striving for. 

If any person could gain a position so high in the 
estimation of his community that no one could 
truthfully characterize him with other words than 
praise and honor, where all commentations were 
graced with commendations of the highest character, 
and where such allusions bore only triubtes of grati- 
tude and respect, such person possesses all the glory, 
honor and fame necessary to comprise a reward that 
should satisfy the most ambitious. 

The average person will admit their inability as 
well as their unwillingness to relinquish their belief 
and hope in a hereafter life, professing such hope 
will lessen the ordeals and horrors of death. Wliile 
the termination of man's life, what we term death, 
is the most serious proposition that could occupy his 
mind, it is safe to assume the actual death holds 
none of the terrors many suppose. Death is a nat- 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 129 

ural process and is attended with little or no pain. 
It seldom if ever bears intimation of its approaching 
disolution to those nearing the point of death. Un- 
der any and all conditions, no one will ever know 
when the end comes to his existence. For we know 
it is necessary to make a mental record of any oc- 
currence in order that we may have a realization of 
it. It will then be seen, after consciousness leaves 
us we no longer possess the faculty of reason, there- 
fore we cannot make a record of our death and can 
have no realization of its taking place. We may rest 
peacefully assured we will live on and on as long 
as we have any realization, and when this faculty 
leaves us it could make no difference to us at what 
time death overtakes us. Thus the actual death 
struggles are never realized by any one at the time 
his own life expires. 

So far as the mind is able to discern, the sensation 
of death is no different from that of sleep, which is 
one of the most welcome conditions possible to con- 
ceive when nature calls upon our nervous system to 
yield to sleep. And when nature calls upon us to 
relinquish our lives and enter the everlasting sleep 
we will find ourselves not only willing, but eager, and 
there will be no fear or horror. There could be no 
sensation other than tranquility, for there is nothing 
to be more desired than serene and peaceful sleep. 

In the realm of this perfect sleep 

Centuries will flit their weaiy tardiness of time. 

As peaceful moments of the hour. 

Time and eternitj^ could unfold no pandemonium of 

unrest, 
But a peaceful plateau of perfect bliss 
Will vicissitude the irksome life. 



130 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

If the student of Materialism is unable to take 
kindly to this theory of the termination of life, with 
his first conception of it, he will experience no dif- 
ficulty in so doing if he will bring to bear upon his 
conscience a line of thought necessary to arrive at 
a point where he can realize that after the moment 
the final unconsciousness obliterates his faculties, it 
could make absolutely no difference to him whether 
he remained in this condition a moment or a multi- 
million centuries. 

If nature intended obliteration to be the ultimate 
termination of man, as scientific investigation seems 
to show, there could be no reasonable advantage 
gained by beguiling himself by a mythological delu- 
sion of the immortal soul theory. Thus there could 
be no object in merely imitating the devotions of 
those who have faith in the traditional eternal result. 
Materialism removes any possible belief that any 
one shall be subjected to the torments of hell. This 
assurance alone is worth many times the assurance 
of his own heavenly reward to the true lover of hu- 
manity. Again, if Materialism is successful in re- 
moving from the mind the fear of hell, there is noth- 
ing to fear at the time of death, thus any and all 
mental discomforts at that time will be eliminated. 

There could be but one object in an hereafter life 
in heaven, and that would be the enjoyment of what- 
ever pleasures and happiness such a place would 
afford. However, if we were resting in absolute ef- 
facement, we would be relieved of the agitation 
necessary in the process enjoyment. On the other 
hand, if we are persistently intent on obtaining the 
heavenly reward, and we will give a little thought 
as to what we may expect in return for our efforts, 
that is to say: if we are desirous of following the 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 131 

teachings of the Bible it would seem that we should 
have a definite understanding regarding the resur- 
rection of the material body. However, when we 
turn to look into this matter we find there is no one 
who can give us any satisfactory or even vague in- 
telligence regarding the subject, and we are forced 
by necessity to pass it by. Though it seems to be 
a predetermined conclusion that some such process 
does take place, and the ' ^ chosen few ' ' will in reality 
appear upon the golden streets, guised in their or- 
iginal material bodies. Though there is not the 
slightest proof that this assumption is true, the Bible 
itself is painfully silent upon this subject. Yet it 
asserts a certain few will gain this reward. The 
question arises, Who will be elected by choice to at- 
tain the celestial redemption? When we endeavor to 
discern which ones of the human family will be ad- 
mitted at the pearlaceous gates of heaven, after 
perusing what little authority we have we stand 
stricken with amazement, for the ^'word'' tells us: 
the abominable shall not pass the gates but shall 
have their place in the lake of fire where they will 
be tormented day and night throughout endless 
eternity. 

Let us see who will be able to pass the gates under 
these rulings. Is there a church organization who 
is not abominable in the estimation of some other 
church? Is there an individual who is not abom- 
inable in the eyes of someone else? Of course the 
questioner and judge is always the righteous one in 
his own estimation. And as there is no two churches 
or individuals alike, there could be no more than one 
that would not be abominable in the eyes of the 
creator. 

Then we find that all liars are doomed to perdi- 



132 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

tion. Does anyone know of another who never per- 
petrated a lief Also the unbeliever is designed as 
one of the many who shall perish. Unbelief in what 1 
Does anyone believe every contention of all the 
churches ! We are evidently to understand, any who 
do not have such implicit faith are in danger of 
damnation, for how are they to know they are not 
rejecting the very system that will give them ever- 
lasting life? 

It is at this point that every religious sect make 
their greatest mistake in thinking they are the only 
true church. Some of them deny this charge. How- 
ever it is evident they do have such belief for there 
could be no other reason for their existence. They 
make calculations of their own, and to suit them- 
selves. They pretend to prove this or that, as their 
desire wills. From the metaphorical statements set 
forth in certain passages of the scriptures, many of 
these statements are wholly void of explicit mean- 
ing, giving rise to religious discord. 

It appears that most of such biblical expressions 
were issued to disguise the author's ignorance. Wlio 
could decipher the following passage! If your eye 
or hand offends you, you must dismember it and cast 
it away. In default of this command, the scriptures 
say you will be damned. A diseased eye or hand 
perhaps should be amputated to preserve the gen- 
eral health, but a failure to do so should not insure 
the neglector everlasting torment in hell. Then we 
are told the teachings of the Bible are largely par- 
ablical, and do not mean exactly what they seem to. 
If we are enabled to twist their meanings into forms 
that will fit our wishes, they lose their significance 
and remain as Materialists have assumed them to 
be, unauthoritative. 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 133 

Statistics reveal the estimation that only about 
one fourth of the earth's population appertain any 
form of religion. In our most highly cultured com- 
munities the percentage of actual church devotees 
is much reduced from these figures. Thus it is 
evident the other three-quarters of the human race 
will have not the slightest chance to escape eternal 
damnation, a beautiful reflection for the religious 
sectarian to realize as he returns thanks to the God 
he understands to be all merciful. 

When we have formed as close a conception of 
heaven as it is possible from a careful survey of the 
scriptures, what do we find! A place of great 
beauty, where life is eternal, where day rules the 
celestial city everlasting, where no pain or sorrow 
shall enter. We are supposed to enter this place 
where we will be forced to remain through eternity. 

What is meant by eternity! If we will permit a 
few calculations to penetrate this subject, we are 
conscious only of the fact that eternity is a very long 
time. We will find ourselves utterly unable to fa; 
thom the significance of the term. If we let our 
thoughts dwell here, they may sink deeper and 
deeper into its meaning, even until they pass the cor- 
ner stone of conjecture, and thence on to oblivion. 
Yet when they return they bear not the slightest con- 
ception of the term. No mental force can adhere 
to such a subject until a possible understanding is 
reached. But we are supposed to believe immortal 
souls incarnated in material bodies can and do live 
on and endure time so great. No mathematician 
could compute numbers of great enough magnitude, 
if reduced to centuries, that would constitute even 
a beginning of eternity. 

What could be the object in such a journey! Can 



134 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

we conceive of such endurance without fatigue? 
Why should we not prefer eternal sleep? There no 
cares or sorrows, no tears or toil could enter. 

THE END. 

Our bud of life blooms as from the bosom of the 

earth. 
The importance of our being shall shed its worth. 
While the panorama of life is but a glimpse of fair 

creation. 
The pendulum of nature swings out to us, profound 

peace at separation. 



POST SCRIPT. 

Let us emerge from the mental straining phases 
of profound thought for a few moments while we 
ransack the imaginative sections of our intellect and 
permit to pass before our mind's eye a short para- 
phrase of what will doubtless be the realization of 
those who are permitted to tread the phantom cause- 
way of eternal glory. 

It will be necessary for us to bring ourselves to 
believe that there was at least one or two mortal 
beings who were successful in determining the true 
church of the living God and were also successful in 
understanding and carrying out every command 
therein codified. That they never made a mistake in 
the interpretation of any of the instructions, and 
never made a single misstep from the pathway of 
righteousness, therefore they are admitted at the 
pearly gates. 

As all things began somewhere and as heaven 
must have been established long after the advent of 
man upon the earth, we must assume there was a 
first earthly and mortal man to enter this place of 
eternal bliss. For the want of something more ap- 
propriate let us assume this man bore the name of 
Mister Michal Miltedese Mandermore. It must be 
conjectured that this man entered heaven some time 
during the Christian era, for there is little trust- 
worthy evidence to show that anyone attained that 
place of paradise before that time. 

However, we find Mister Michal Miltedese Man- 
dermore in the first hour of his advent. We see him 
wild eyed with wondrous amazement. The glit- 

(135) 



136 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

tering elegance of the eternal city dazzled his cop- 
ious mentality beyond expression. The felicity 
therein abounding immensely surpassed his most 
exaggerated imagination of the celestial realm. 

And so an unheaded motive piloted his footsteps 
along the golden way, a journey that would doubtless 
necessitate a period of time so incomprehensible in 
length that it forbids mention, to constitute what 
might be said to be a little ramble at leisure. During 
this stroll along tlie celestial thoroughfare Mr. Mi- 
chal Miltedese Mandermore chanced to pass by the 
fountain, he paused to admire its marvelous beauty 
and betook himself of the medicamental waters; 
these indulgences consumed fully ten thousand years 
of time. 

When he had brought his newly invigorated atoms 
to a new realization he was astounded at the enor- 
mouse size and appalling height of heaven. And 
what at first sight was still more amazing was the 
scarcity of the inhabitants of the place, for he had 
not yet met a single soul upon those thoroughfares. 
However upon second thoughtful reflection he re- 
membered the Bible had taught him, ^Hhe way is 
narrow and few shall enter therein*', and the mys- 
tery was then cleared away. Whereupon he resumes 
his stroll. At the end of many thousands of years 
he arrives at the throne. Here he is escorted to a 
lonely seat in the parquet dress circle. Here he is 
entertained by the choir who render an anthem ten 
thousand years long. Then he watched the maneu- 
vers of the beasts and the elders for another ten 
thousand years. 

At the close of these exercises Mr. Michal Milte- 
dese Mandermore reflects upon the time he has been 
in heaven and makes an inventorial investigation of 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 137 

his dexterous movements. He finds that the long 
finger of memory could not point to the time when 
he had last enjoyed a bath. Thereupon he seeks a 
secluded spot upon the river banks and proceeds to 
enjoy the cool and refreshing waters. When he had 
finished, a glance at his Seth-Walthamton-Elgin- 
bery watch gave him the information that twenty 
thousand years had been consumed in the bathing 
pastime. 

Then it is he realizes time is flying and there are 
many things he has not yet witnessed in the heav- 
enly realm. He again takes up the toilsome pedes- 
trious pursuit and after thus traveling a consider- 
able distance he is attracted to the window, from 
which he was enabled to behold the satanic regions. 
He was amazed and amused at the condemned souls 
as they writhed, groaned and gnashed their teeth in 
their inexplicit agony and despair. Was he amused? 
Yes, for '^no sorrow shall enter the kingdom of 
heaven''. And so Mr. Michel Miltedese Mander- 
more amused himself for almost a hundred thousand 
years. Then reclining upon the downy cushion of 
a golden settee he basked in the sunshine of eternal 
bliss and indulged in wakeful slumbers for an in- 
comprehensible length of time. 

By this time he is becoming to be a comparatively 
old resident and feels it is his duty to go down to 
the gates and welcome some of the new arrivals. As 
they are not coming in very fast, he finds it is neces- 
sary to wait around for a great many centuries, after 
which time his wearied attention was attracted by 
the slow and sombre thuds of the little used door 
knocker indicating the arrival of a new comer. While 
St. Peter pulled himself together in preparation of 
examination of the candidate's credentials, Mr. 



138 HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 

Mychel Miltedese Mandermore gave vent to expres- 
sions of delight at the sight of an earthly mortal 
man that could not be described in mortal words. 

However the new arrival is detained for many 
decades while St. Peter scrutinizes his church career 
and religious records. His morals are not looked 
into. He may have committed murder, adultery, 
robbery or other atrocious crimes without number, 
but these are nonimportant in the estimation of St. 
Peter. If the applicant has been successful in se- 
lecting the true church, if his obedience to this 
church has been unwavering, even a repentance at 
the eleventh hour of his life may be sufficient to clear 
his whole character in the eyes of the Lord. 

However we must assume this particular candi- 
date passed the required examination, for Mr. 
Mychel Miltedese Mandermore is accorded the honor 
of showing him about. Their conversation of 
course fell to things at home upon the earth. He 
receives the news of the death of his whole family 
with a light heart. The fact that none of them were 
ever admitted to the heavenly realm does not affect 
him in the least, for ^^ remorse shall not enter there '\ 
He resolves however to someday take another look 
into hell and see if he can discern his poor good 
wife whose only wrong was to devote her religious 
energies in the wrong church. 

However these two and only heavenly occupants 
locked arms and with loving caresses started out to 
feast their eyes upon all the gratifying luxuries that 
heaven holds. It so happened that in their wan- 
derings they chanced to pass by the temple, and their 
attention was attracted to the striking of the celes- 
tial clock. They paused to examine the time and 
were not a little surprised to note that this clock did 



HAS MAN AN IMMORTAL SOUL 139 

not tell the time. It was then they discovered the 
hands of the clock did not move, for there was no 
time to record, and they were shocked with amaze- 
ment when they came to realize the vast amount of 
time Mr. Mychel Miltedese Mandermore had spent 
there did not constitute even a beginning to the time 
that they must remain. 

A theory of a Heavenly reward may be well, 
But would not too much Heaven be almost Hell! 




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